Plant Stress最新文献

{"title":"Viral population dynamics and host reprogramming: Insights into grapevine leaf mottling and deformation disease (GLMD) development","authors":"Nadia Bertazzon ,&nbsp;Luca Nerva ,&nbsp;Giorgio Gambino ,&nbsp;Walter Chitarra ,&nbsp;Elisa Angelini","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100980","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100980","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) is an emerging grapevine virus associated with the grapevine leaf mottling and deformation disease (GLMD). The virus consists of genetically distinct variants, with the more virulent forms causing severe disease and the latent ones linked to mild or asymptomatic infections. However, the existence of mixed infections with different viral strains could affect the molecular interplay between the virus and its host plant and determine the disease outbreak. Here, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying disease manifestation were investigated in plants obtained from the graft of GPGV-infected materials originated from symptomatic and asymptomatic vines. All grafted plants carried a mixed population of GPGV virulent and latent isolates, and the symptom expression did not consistently match the source. Leaves and roots within a plant harboured different GPGV population. Higher accumulation of virulent GPGV isolates in leaves redirected the host energy and nutritional resources towards viral replication and assembly. This shift negatively affected plant physiological processes and development, independently of GLMD disease. On the opposite, GLMD symptomatic plants showed the lowest accumulation of the latent GPGV isolates in roots, where transcriptomic profiling reveals impaired secondary cell wall maturation. Interestingly, intrahost virus-virus interactions, occurring between GPGV and the grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus (GRSPaV), could rearrange the population of GPGV variants with a possible key role in the disease outbreak.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100980"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144771715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics analysis elucidates phased defense and resource allocation trade-offs in fusarium resistance of maize","authors":"Aiguo Su ,&nbsp;Senlin Xiao ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Li ,&nbsp;Sairu Duan,&nbsp;Shuaishuai Wang,&nbsp;Haixia Zhang,&nbsp;Ruyang Zhang,&nbsp;Jinfeng Xing,&nbsp;Chunhui Li,&nbsp;Xiaqing Wang,&nbsp;Yanxin Zhao,&nbsp;Shuai Wang,&nbsp;Xuan Sun,&nbsp;Fengge Wang,&nbsp;Yang Yang,&nbsp;Yuandong Wang,&nbsp;Tianjun Xu,&nbsp;Xueyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Ronghuan Wang,&nbsp;Wei Song,&nbsp;Jiuran Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100977","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100977","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Fusarium graminearum</em>-induced ear rot may lead to severe yield losses and mycotoxin contamination, which threaten global maize production. To dissect resistance mechanisms, we integrated a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 420 maize inbred lines across five environments with a time-resolved transcriptomics analysis of resistant and susceptible genotypes. On the basis of GWAS, 151 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were identified, including novel loci in bin 7.04 and known resistance hotspots in bin 3.04. By comparing the transcriptomes of resistant (X178) and susceptible (B73) lines during early infection phases, we detected 1537 differentially expressed genes associated with pathways related to plant immune responses (e.g., defense signaling, secondary metabolism, redox homeostasis, and cytoskeletal reorganization). Additionally, 32 potential resistance genes were differentially expressed according to our transcriptome analysis, which enabled the prioritization of candidate genes, including <em>ZmTRX</em> (thioredoxin), <em>ZmGuLO</em> (ascorbate biosynthesis), and <em>ZmVOZ1</em> (transcription factor). We propose that resistant maize lines have phased defense responses that transiently suppress the synthesis of storage-related proteins (e.g., α-zein), reallocate resources for immunity-related activities, and balance stress response-associated trade-offs via dynamic regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100977"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144771716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Whole-genome identification, evolutionary decipherment, and expression profiling analyses of alcohol dehydrogenase family members in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)","authors":"Liang Wang ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Xianqin Wen ,&nbsp;Wenhua Dongchen ,&nbsp;Yumei Dong ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Li ,&nbsp;Quan Liang ,&nbsp;Yaqiong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100975","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100975","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) proteins are essential to plant development and participate in various stress responses. However, whole-genome identification, evolutionary history and expression characteristics of soybean (<em>Glycine max</em> (L.) Merr.) <em>ADH</em> genes remain lagging. In this study, we identified 58 <em>Glycine max ADH</em> (<em>GmADH</em>) genes from the Wm82.a2.v1 soybean genome, which were classified into four clades and unevenly distributed on 19 chromosomes. GmADH members in the same clades showed analogies in gene structures, motif patterns and protein structures. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses demonstrated that GmADHs might be involved in distinct biological processes. The segmental duplications were found to be the major force in deriving new <em>GmADH</em> genes. Syntenic and evolutionary investigations proved that the <em>GmADH</em> genes underwent strong purifying selections during evolution. The screening of <em>cis</em>-elements and putative binding transcription factors (TFs) in promoter regions as well as the expression profiling explorations revealed the different regulatory roles of <em>GmADH</em> genes during soybean development, flooding, drought and salt stresses. This work provides valuable insights for future gene functional research, which may boost the applications of favorable <em>GmADH</em> gene resources in soybean genetic improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100975"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endophytic fungi as regulators of phytohormones production: Cytomolecular effects on plant growth, stress protection and importance in sustainable agriculture","authors":"Parissa Taheri","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100978","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100978","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants adjust their physiology, biology and phenotype to survive in various environmental situations and organize their responses to unfavorable conditions. Phenotypic and physiologic flexibility of various plant species may be mediated by numerous microorganisms, including endophytic fungi. These beneficial fungi are capable of increasing plant growth via either enhancing plant immunity to biotic and abiotic environmental stimuli, or by producing growth-stimulating factors such as phytohormones. Phytohormones have vital roles in plant resistance mechanisms and can be considered as growth regulators via their prominent effect on plant metabolism. Exogenous use of various hormones can increase plant growth factors and decrease harmful effects of environmental stresses. Recent investigations revealed that phytohormones production or regulation by beneficial fungi could be critical metabolic engineering targets for activating plant resistance to environmental stimuli. Signaling pathways involved in phytohormones biosynthesis and mechanisms related to this process have been identified using numerous biochemical and molecular approaches. This review is focused on production and regulation of some phytohormones by endophytic fungi and current knowledge on the vital role of these small biological molecules in increasing immunity responses in plants exposed to environmental cues. Therefore, the present review can be useful for plant pathologists, physiologists and environmental microbiologists for designing novel and effective strategies to develop broad-spectrum microbial inoculants supporting plant growth and organic crop production under unfavorable conditions. Focus on exploring cytomolecular and biochemical mechanisms involved in the effect of fungi and other beneficial microbes on producing or regulating phytohormone levels in plant tissues seems to be interesting subjects for future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100978"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MMDH2-mediated hydroxyproline accumulation regulates iron-deficiency stress response in Arabidopsis","authors":"Xi Wu ,&nbsp;Mengfan Wu ,&nbsp;Qian Ma ,&nbsp;Zhen Zhang ,&nbsp;Junjia Sheng ,&nbsp;Yifan Zhu ,&nbsp;Jiena Xu ,&nbsp;Guangna Chen ,&nbsp;Hui Song ,&nbsp;Shuqing Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iron (Fe) deficiency represents a significant constraint on plant growth, particularly in alkaline soils where Fe bioavailability is limited. In this study, we demonstrate that mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase MMDH2 acts vitally in the response of Arabidopsis to Fe deficiency. <em>mmdh2</em> mutants displayed sensitivity to the stress of Fe deficiency, while <em>MMDH2-</em>overexpressing lines displayed enhanced tolerance to this stress. This increased tolerance is associated with elevated Fe content, decreased accumulation of ROS, and raised transcription level of <em>NAS4</em>. Remarkably, the accumulation of hydroxyproline (HYP) was dramatically induced in wild-type plants under stress of Fe deficiency but was not observed in <em>mmdh2</em> mutants. Exogenous supplementation with HYP restored the <em>mmdh2</em>-sensitive phenotype under Fe deficiency stress, suggesting that HYP is a signaling molecule that modulates the Fe deficiency response. Furthermore, we revealed that the bHLH transcription factor ILR3 binds directly to the <em>MMDH2</em> promoter and activates its transcription under conditions of Fe deficiency, thereby establishing an ILR3-MMDH2 regulatory module. This study positions MMDH2 as a central hub integrating metabolic and transcriptional pathways essential for maintaining Fe homeostasis. These findings provide new insights into plant stress responses and potential strategies for enhancing crop tolerance in environments characterized by limited Fe availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100976"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exogenous melatonin enhances Lr10-mediated resistance to Puccinia triticina by upregulating TaRAR1 and potentiating salicylic acid pathway and antioxidant defense system","authors":"Johannes Mapuranga,&nbsp;Lulu Song,&nbsp;Ruolin Li,&nbsp;Hao Li,&nbsp;Jiaying Chang,&nbsp;Jiaojie Zhao,&nbsp;Yingdan Zhang,&nbsp;Na Zhang,&nbsp;Wenxiang Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100974","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100974","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wheat leaf rust, caused by the biotrophic fungal pathogen <em>Puccinia triticina</em> (<em>Pt</em>), continuously threatens global wheat production, causing considerable yield losses necessitating the implementation of effective management approaches. While conventional breeding and chemical control strategies have been used, priming agents and genetic regulators offer sustainable strategies for wheat leaf rust management. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a pleiotropic signaling molecule, induces plant innate immunity against abiotic and biotic stresses. This study demonstrates that exogenous melatonin (100 µM) enhances <em>Lr10-</em>mediated resistance to wheat leaf rust by upregulating <em>TaRAR1</em>, salicylic acid downstream genes, antioxidant enzyme genes, MAPK cascade genes, and WRKY transcription factors during <em>Pt</em> infection. RAR1 serves as an initial convergence point in signaling pathways activated by several <em>R</em> genes. Herein, <em>TaRAR1</em> was strongly upregulated during early stages of infection in incompatible interactions, and this was associated with increased endogenous SA and melatonin levels, correlating with enhanced defense responses. <em>TaRAR1</em> silencing compromised TcLr10 resistance, reducing SA and melatonin levels, downregulating defense-related genes, and altering reactive oxygen species dynamics by increasing <em>TaCAT</em> expression and reducing hydrogen peroxide accumulation. <em>TaRAR1</em> silencing also downregulated <em>TaSGT1</em>, and <em>TaHSP90</em>, suggesting its role in stabilizing NLR proteins. In conclusion, melatonin augments wheat resistance to leaf rust by upregulating <em>TaRAR1</em>, SA signaling, and antioxidant defenses, with MAPK cascades and WRKY transcription factors amplifying downstream responses. This study provides novel insights into the integration of phytohormonal and genetic approaches for enhancing wheat resistance to leaf rust, offering strategies for sustainable disease management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100974"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the nexus of drought stress and rice physiology: mechanisms, mitigation, and sustainable cultivation","authors":"Wen-fei Hu ,&nbsp;Ye-bo Qin ,&nbsp;Jun-jiang Lin ,&nbsp;Ting-ting Chen ,&nbsp;San-feng Li ,&nbsp;Yu-tiao Chen ,&nbsp;Jie Xiong ,&nbsp;Guan-fu Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the face of global warming, drought is becoming an increasingly severe issue and has emerged as a crucial factor affecting agricultural production. Investigating the effects of drought stress on the growth, development, and physiological traits of rice, elucidating the underlying response mechanisms of rice to drought stress, and exploring agronomic practices to reduce yield losses under such stress are essential for boosting rice yields in arid conditions and safeguarding global food security. This review comprehensively synthesizes the latest research progress on the changes in the growth, development, and physiological characteristics of rice under drought stress, as well as the regulatory mechanisms of drought tolerance. It delves deeply into the stress responses and energy metabolism patterns of rice induced by drought stress. Moreover, it systematically summarizes the establishment of drought tolerance evaluation systems and the screening methods for drought-tolerant rice varieties. At the same time, it outlines practical agronomic measures and management strategies for combating drought stress, aiming to provide a scientific basis for rice cultivation in drought-affected regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100973"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase gene confers resistance to Verticillium wilt in cotton and reveals adaptive selection during domestication","authors":"Mubashir Abbas ,&nbsp;Muhammad Jawad Umer ,&nbsp;Aamir Ali Abro ,&nbsp;Zhang Menghan ,&nbsp;Chao Lu ,&nbsp;Qiankun Liu ,&nbsp;Heng Wang ,&nbsp;Mengying Yang ,&nbsp;Yiman Liu ,&nbsp;Huang Wenjuan ,&nbsp;Muhammad Aamir Khan ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ali Abid ,&nbsp;Muhammad Askari ,&nbsp;Muhammad Aneeq Ur Rahman ,&nbsp;Yuqing Hou ,&nbsp;Jie Zhang ,&nbsp;Yanchao Xu ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Cai ,&nbsp;Zhongli Zhou ,&nbsp;Rui Zhang ,&nbsp;Fang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cotton is a globally important fiber crop that faces significant yield losses due to <em>Verticillium</em> wilt caused by <em>Verticillium dahliae</em>. Short-chain dehydrogenase/reductases (SDRs) are NAD(P)(H)-dependent enzymes involved in metabolic pathways and stress responses, but their role in disease resistance is not well understood in cotton. The objective of this study was to investigate the function of <em>GhSDR500</em> in cotton defense against <em>V. dahliae</em>. A combination of population genetics, pangenome analysis, gene expression profiling, transcription factor binding analysis, and functional validation through Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) was employed. Population genetic analysis revealed a favorable <em>GhSDR500</em> allele selected during cotton domestication. A <em>G</em> &gt; <em>C</em> mutation causing a glycine-to-alanine substitution in the NAD domain was identified, with the G allele strongly favored in modern cultivars due to its association with enhanced resistance. Pangenome analysis further highlighted presence–absence variations and transposable elements around <em>GhSDR500</em>. Expression studies showed strong upregulation of <em>GhSDR500</em> in resistant cotton varieties during early infection stages. VIGS confirmed its role in disease resistance, as silencing <em>GhSDR500</em> increased susceptibility to <em>V. dahliae</em> and reduced expression of pathogenesis-related genes. Transcription factor binding analysis identified WRKY genes as key regulators. These results demonstrate that <em>GhSDR500</em> plays a key role in resistance to <em>V. dahliae</em> and represents a potential target for breeding <em>Verticillium</em> wilt-resistant cotton varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100971"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal adaptation strategies of heteroblastic foliage in Pinus massoniana seedlings: insights into sugar composition, osmotic regulation, and protective enzyme mechanisms","authors":"Haoyun Wang ,&nbsp;Shuangqin Xie ,&nbsp;Hongyang He ,&nbsp;Yingying Xu ,&nbsp;Feng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Pinus massoniana</em> displays heteroblastic foliage during the first growing season, forming primary needle seedlings (PNS) and secondary needle seedlings (SNS). Significant differences exist between primary and secondary needles in morphology, seasonal photosynthetic physiology, and growth patterns. However, their responses to seasonal temperature variations remain poorly understood. We systematically compare seasonal physiological adjustments of the PNS and SNS, focusing on carbohydrate dynamics, osmotic regulation, and stress-responsive enzyme activities under natural temperature gradients. The progressive accumulation of malondialdehyde with declining temperatures, accompanied by rapid starch-to-sucrose conversion driven by elevated sucrose phosphate synthase activity, indicates that PNS is more sensitive to cold than SNS. This physiological shift results in increased sucrose and L-fucose concentrations, synergistically enhanced by proline accumulation and superoxide dismutase-mediated antioxidant defense. In contrast, SNS exhibits a distinct metabolic reprogramming characterized by amplified sucrose cleavage, leading to substantial accumulation of maltose, glucose, D-fructose, and inositol. Additionally, SNS prioritized osmotic homeostasis through soluble protein synthesis and peroxidase activation, thereby maintaining osmotic balance and protecting cellular integrity. Collectively, these findings reveal distinct physiological differences in the responses of PNS and SNS to seasonal temperature variations. As such, a theoretical framework is developed to better understand key traits that enable conifer species to adapt to environmental stressors associated with changing climates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100972"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Remodeling of cell wall components mediated by the C4 protein of the geminivirus TYLCSV in tomato","authors":"Silvia Rotunno ,&nbsp;Camilla Sacco Botto ,&nbsp;Laura Miozzi ,&nbsp;Marco Catoni ,&nbsp;Yiguo Hong ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Costamagna ,&nbsp;Veronica Volpe ,&nbsp;Chiara D’Errico ,&nbsp;Andrea Genre ,&nbsp;Emanuela Noris","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100955","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.100955","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We previously showed that tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV, Genus <em>Begomovirus</em>, family <em>Geminiviridae</em>) confers enhanced drought tolerance in tomato plants, possibly through the intervention of C4, a small and highly variable viral protein found to be involved in symptoms development, virus movement, RNA silencing suppression, and host defense. We also reported that transgenic tomato plants overexpressing the TYLCSV C4 protein display morphological defects and are tolerant to extreme drought and fungal attack. To define the molecular basis underpinning these phenotypes, a comparative transcriptome analysis was carried out for C4 transgenic and wild-type plants. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses highlighted the differential expression of genes mainly related to the metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, phenylpropanoids, and carotenoids. The transcriptional deregulation of key genes involved in the formation of cell wall and cuticle components was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that the epidermal cells of C4 transgenic leaves have thicker cell walls and cuticles compared to wild-type plants. Moreover, using Raman spectroscopy we confirmed that C4 overexpression leads to higher accumulation of carotenoids and of the major structural cell constituents, such as lignin, cellulose, and pectin. Our findings support the hypothesis that C4 mediates the remodeling and reinforcement of cellular barriers possibly contributing to prime plants against drought stress and fungal attack, deepening the comprehension of the intricate interplay between geminiviruses, plant structure, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100955"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}