Plant Stress最新文献

{"title":"Genetic architecture of barley resistance to net blotch and leaf scald: QTL integration and candidate gene identification","authors":"Dan Liu,&nbsp;Jingyang Tong,&nbsp;Dilani Jambuthenne Gamaralalage,&nbsp;Sambasivam Periyannan,&nbsp;Ben Hayes,&nbsp;Lee Hickey,&nbsp;Eric Dinglasan","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Net form net blotch (NFNB), spot form net blotch (SFNB), and leaf scald (LS) are among the most important foliar diseases of barley, causing significant yield and economic losses. The most effective and sustainable strategy for disease management is likely to be the deployment of genetic resistance. To date, numerous genetic loci associated with resistance to the three diseases have been identified through quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome wide association studies (GWAS). In this review, we present a comprehensive synthesis of genetic loci and major genes for NFNB, SFNB, and LS by integrating results from 97 studies published in the last 30 years. A total of 808 genetic loci were mapped for the seven barley chromosomes based on the latest Morex V3 reference genome. The proportion of phenotypic variance explained by these loci ranged from 1% to 96%, with major genes typically accounting for &gt;40% of the variation. We also identified 94 QTL-rich clusters and delineated 42 genomic regions conferring multi-disease resistance (MDR). Candidate genes were identified for these MDR regions, providing valuable insights into the molecular basis of broad-spectrum resistance. Together, these findings significantly enhance our understanding of the genetic architecture underlying resistance to major foliar diseases in barley and offer diagnostic markers and genomic targets for barley resistance breeding programs, aiding in the development of durable resistance for individual diseases, as well as multi-disease resistant cultivars.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101461"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct regulatory networks mediate plant adaptation to multifactorial abiotic stress combinations: rethinking of plant stress genetics","authors":"Ali Raza,&nbsp;Yiran Li,&nbsp;Mengkai Zhao,&nbsp;Tao Ming,&nbsp;Rodomiro Ortiz,&nbsp;Robert J. Henry,&nbsp;Zhangli Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants in natural environments often encounter multifactorial abiotic stress combinations that trigger regulatory responses distinct from those triggered by individual stresses. Traditional single-stress paradigms inadequately capture these complex interactions, limiting crop improvement efforts. Here, we discuss how plants integrate conserved signaling pathways with combination-specific regulatory modules (CSRMs) across multiple regulatory layers to mediate stress tolerance. Using recent findings, including the identification of specific transcription factor complexes that decode unique stress combinations, we highlight how CSRMs coordinate downstream protective pathways such as reactive oxygen species buffering. These insights suggest a multi-layered regulatory logic underlying plant adaptation to combined stresses. Leveraging CSRMs through integrative discovery and engineering approaches offers a promising avenue for developing climate-smart crops with potentially enhanced and stable tolerance under unpredictable field conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101458"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Iron oxide nanoparticles and mycorrhizae in plant responses to drought and salinity stress: a review","authors":"Farnaz Ahmadi-Nouraldinvand,&nbsp;Akhtar Ayoobi,&nbsp;Martin A. Stefanov,&nbsp;Ömer Faruk Coşkun,&nbsp;Hasan Mehraj","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101459","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101459","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of drought and soil salinity, which are major constraints to crop productivity and long-term agricultural sustainability. These abiotic stresses disrupt water and ion homeostasis, increase the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and impair photosynthetic efficiency, cellular integrity, and plant growth. To survive under these conditions, plants activate coordinated physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses involving antioxidant defense systems, hormonal signaling networks, transcriptional reprogramming, and epigenetic regulation. This review presents an integrated overview of plant responses to drought and salinity, with particular emphasis on oxidative stress regulation and the molecular mechanisms controlling ROS homeostasis. We summarize the roles of antioxidant enzymes and discuss how their expression is regulated by stress-responsive transcription factors and hormone-dependent pathways. Recent advances in epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small RNA-mediated pathways, are also highlighted as important contributors to stress memory and adaptive plasticity under recurrent drought and salinity. We further highlight emerging mitigation strategies based on iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which modulate redox balance, nutrient availability, hormonal crosstalk, and stress-responsive gene expression. Evidence suggests that IONPs enhance antioxidant capacity and ion homeostasis, while AMF improve water uptake, nutrient acquisition, and transcriptional coordination under stress. The combined application of IONPs and AMF shows synergistic potential by targeting shared signaling hubs such as ROS, ABA, and Ca²⁺, thereby strengthening plant resilience to drought and salinity. Finally, we discuss future perspectives for integrating nanotechnology, beneficial soil microorganisms, molecular breeding, and epigenetic approaches to develop sustainable, field-applicable strategies for enhancing crop resilience to drought and salinity in a changing climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101459"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An information-geometric framework reveals size-dominant and context-dependent stomatal perturbations in cacao under pathogen challenge","authors":"Ezekiel Ahn,&nbsp;Seunghyun Lim,&nbsp;Insuck Baek,&nbsp;Moon S. Kim,&nbsp;Sunchung Park,&nbsp;Lyndel W. Meinhardt","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101470","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101470","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Comparing stomatal responses across heterogeneous settings is difficult because host, environment, and pathogen effects are often entangled. Here, we developed a control-anchored, information-geometric framework to quantify pathogen-associated perturbations using 7558 cacao (<em>Theobroma cacao</em>) stomata across two genotypes, multiple isolates, two photoperiods, and three time points. By anchoring each infected condition to its strictly matched trial control, we partitioned seven morphometric traits into size and shape modules. Responses were quantified using module-response norms, Gaussian 2-Wasserstein divergence, vector alignment to light/time reference axes derived from matched controls, and leave-one-trial-out robustness procedures. Across the state space, size-related responses exhibited a broader dynamic range than shape-related responses, indicating that pathogen-induced perturbations shift stomatal scale more than geometric balance. The module-response landscape revealed strong genotype- and photoperiod-specific organization, with SCA6 conditions showing larger size-axis displacements than corresponding Pound7 conditions. Alignment analysis demonstrated that pathogen-response vectors do not converge on a universal control-derived light/time direction; instead, their orientations are highly context-dependent. Replicate-aware analysis confirmed that these response patterns are reproducible, although stability varies across contexts. Overall, these results map a structured but context-dependent landscape of stomatal responses and provide a practical framework for prioritizing plant–microbe interactions for future physiological and molecular investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101470"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic breeding and biocontrol strategies for managing bacterial leaf streak in rice: A comprehensive review","authors":"Tao Wu,&nbsp;Yechao Huang,&nbsp;Licheng Tan,&nbsp;Qingxia Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101445","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Xanthomonas oryzae</em> pv. <em>oryzicola</em> (<em>Xoc</em>), a key bacterial pathogen of rice, causes bacterial leaf streak (BLS)-a destructive and quarantinable disease that often leads to significant yield and quality losses and poses serious challenges to rice production. Developing effective green control strategies for BLS represents a critical challenge that must be addressed in current rice production systems. Although the use of disease-resistant genes for genetic breeding appears to be an efficient and durable strategy for controlling BLS, progress in this area has been slow due to the limited availability of major resistance (R) gene resources effective against BLS to date. To provide a comprehensive understanding of how disease-resistant genes can be utilized against BLS, this review systematically compiles and analyzes the functions of key genetic resources in rice BLS resistance. These include: (1) R genes such as <em>Rxo1, bls1/2</em>, and <em>Xo1/2</em>; (2) Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) like <em>qBlsr5a, qBLSR-11–1, qBLS6.2</em> and so on; (3) Multiple defense-related (DR) genes. Furthermore, this article also collected biocontrol agents (BCAs) against BLS, summarizing researches on inhibition of <em>Xoc</em> through microorganisms and their antagonistic metabolites, and plant-derived compounds. Based on this, we proposed strategies that include engineering chimeric of <em>Bs2</em>-<em>NRC2</em>/<em>3</em>/<em>4</em> or promoters of <em>Xa27</em> and <em>Xa23</em> to enable recognition of conserved <em>Xoc</em> effectors, and perform gene editing effector-binding elements (EBEs) in the promoters of <em>OsSULTR3;6, OsHXK5, OsF3H03g</em>, etc. to prevent induction. We also proposed a novel biological control strategy against BLS, which employs different functional BCAs and genetically modifies <em>Microbiome</em> (<em>M</em>) genes to recruit beneficial microorganisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101445"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-omics integration reveals glucosinolate biosynthesis as a regulatory hub coordinating combined heat and salt stress responses in cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.)","authors":"Yuanyuan Xu,&nbsp;Jing Yang,&nbsp;Miaomiao Xing,&nbsp;Yuyu Lu,&nbsp;Jiyong Yan,&nbsp;Xue Liu,&nbsp;Guohu Chen,&nbsp;Aisong Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101478","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global warming has intensified the concurrent occurrence of heat and salt stress, posing a significant threat to cabbage production. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing cabbage responses to this stress combination remain largely elusive. Here, we integrated physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses to decipher the stress response strategies of four cabbage genotypes with contrasting heat or salt tolerance. While combined stress suppressed growth and photosynthetic parameters across different genotypes, physiological profiling revealed that salt stress is the primary driver of injury under combined conditions. Based on the levels of H₂O₂ and the <em>Fv/Fm</em> ratio in leaves, analyses showed that 48 h of stress represented a critical juncture marked by maximal photoinhibition and reactive oxygen species accumulation. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that 5255 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 857 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) were identified in the salt-tolerant genotype ‘JSA9’, while 9019 DEGs and 858 DAMs were identified in the heat-tolerant genotype ‘JSA12’ under combined stress. Crucially, integrated multi-omics network analysis unveiled the glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway as a central regulatory hub coordinating the combined stress response, a role that has not been previously characterized in cabbage under combined heat and salt stress. This pathway exhibited genotype-specific regulatory architectures, with key genes including <em>CYP79B2-1, BCAT4</em>, and <em>ST5a-2</em> displaying divergent expression patterns linked to distinct adaptive strategies. Collectively, our findings establish a high-resolution molecular framework for combined stress adaptation in cabbage and identify a set of candidate genes for functional validation and breeding of multi-stress-tolerant varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101478"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148642602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals the role of phenylpropanoid-mediated lignin deposition in enhancing cold tolerance in tobacco","authors":"Xin Wang,&nbsp;Tongyan Jiang,&nbsp;Haiyang Chen,&nbsp;Lihua Li,&nbsp;Zhengxiong Song,&nbsp;Zhaojun Wang,&nbsp;Zhan Shen,&nbsp;Yuning Zhang,&nbsp;Xiaoquan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101474","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101474","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cold stress significantly constrains crop productivity and spatial distribution. Although general cold-response pathways are documented, the specific regulatory architecture in tobacco remains elusive. A systematic comparison was made of the physiological and multi-omic profiles of a cold-tolerant (YM2020) and a cold-sensitive (YY99) cultivar. It was demonstrated that YM2020 displayed superior tolerance, as evidenced by its attenuated leaf wilting, robust antioxidant activity, and efficient osmotic adjustment. Transcriptomic revealed a selective up-regulation of cold-responsive transcription factor (TF) families in YM2020. WGCNA identified a critical module linked to tolerance, spotlighting <em>WRKY58, EIN3</em>, and <em>REVEILLE7</em> as candidate hub genes. Integrative analysis indicated that phenylpropanoid metabolism‑related pathways are key pathways for tobacco in response to cold stress, with key genes (e.g., PAL- Nta09g12930) and metabolites (e.g., coniferyl alcohol) significantly correlated with the aforementioned hub transcription factors. In addition, YM2020 exhibited considerably elevated lignin content and PAL activity, substantiated by augmented lignin deposition. The present findings suggest that tobacco cold tolerance is governed by a coordinated TF-mediated reinforcement of the lignin biosynthetic pathway, offering targets for molecular breeding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101474"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148642596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crosstalk between abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) regulates susceptibility of tomato to the specialist spider mite Tetranychus evansi Baker & Pritchard","authors":"Miguel González-Guzmán,&nbsp;Berivan Ozlem Gumus,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Acién,&nbsp;Eva Cañizares,&nbsp;Paula Solé,&nbsp;Alberto Ribes-Navarro,&nbsp;Elaine Puentes,&nbsp;Héctor Candela,&nbsp;Felix Ortego,&nbsp;Vicent Arbona","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101454","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101454","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In plants, jasmonic acid (JA) is traditionally seen as the key regulator of plant defense against spider mites although indirect evidence suggests that abscisic acid (ABA) might also be involved. This study examined this possibility using an ABA-deficient tomato genotype (<em>notabilis</em>) and the specialist <em>T. evansi</em> which is known to suppress JA-dependent defenses. Wild type cv. Lukullus showed enhanced leaf damage than <em>notabilis</em>, showing that ABA influences susceptibility to specialist spider mites potentially modulating jasmonate levels and dependent defenses. Among the upregulated genes, cv. Lukullus displayed GO enrichment in JA-dependent defense, regulation of ROS production, SA-biosynthesis and the negative regulation of defense whereas in <em>notabilis,</em> these mechanisms were less prominent and all GO terms related to photosynthesis were severely repressed, suggesting that these could be crucial in restricting progression of <em>T. evansi</em> infestation in tomato. At the metabolic level, reduced susceptibility to <em>T. evansi</em> in <em>notabilis</em> accompanied an increased accumulation of free fatty acids and phenylpropanoids mirrored by enhanced gene expression of lipid, phenylpropanoid and lignin metabolic genes as well as genes related to ABA/dehydration and JA signaling. A gene co-expression analysis identified modules correlated with ABA and SA levels which included defense and photosynthesis responses among the up- and downregulated genes, respectively, suggesting their potential crosstalk in the regulation of tomato responses to <em>T. evansi</em> infestation. This extent was further investigated with feeding assays in tomato mutants <em>spr2</em> (JA-deficient) and NahG (SA-deficient) with <em>T. evansi</em> confirming their role as positive and negative regulators of susceptibility to spider mites, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101454"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic reprogramming of sugar metabolism mediates salt stress adaptation in Sophora alopecuroides roots","authors":"Youcheng Zhu,&nbsp;Qianqian Yuan,&nbsp;Fan Yan,&nbsp;Ying Wang,&nbsp;Yajing Liu,&nbsp;Jingwen Li,&nbsp;Xiaoli Liu,&nbsp;Jinbo Hou,&nbsp;Qingyu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101447","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101447","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinization severely constrains agricultural production. <em>Sophora alopecuroides</em> L., a salt-tolerant wild legume, is an ideal model for investigating plant salt adaptation mechanisms. However, the dynamic reprogramming of sugar metabolism in its roots under salt stress remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted an integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of <em>S. alopecuroides</em> roots subjected to 200 mM NaCl over a time course (0, 4, 24, 48, and 72 h). Our results revealed that salt stress triggered a three-phase response: early osmotic stress (0 - 4 h), intermediate adjustment (4 - 48 h), and late ionic stress (48 - 72 h). Integrated multi-omics analysis identified 303 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 16 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) from seven core sugar metabolic pathways. Both the DEGs and DAMs were significantly enriched in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, and the DEGs exhibited five distinct temporal expression profiles. Coupling analysis of genes and metabolites uncovered a precise \"sugar-energy axis\" regulatory model: during the early stage, β-amylase (AMY)-mediated starch degradation fueled glycolysis (<em>PFK, GAPDH</em>) for rapid energy production; at the intermediate stage, carbon flux was redirected to the synthesis of osmoprotectants, including sucrose, raffinose, and trehalose (<em>SUS, Rafs, TPS</em>), while the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) was enhanced to supply NADPH; during the late stage, the TCA cycle (<em>IDH, ACO</em>) was reactivated to restore energy homeostasis, whereas starch synthesis (<em>glgA</em>) was persistently suppressed to conserve carbon sources. This dynamic equilibrium of the \"sugar-energy axis\" constitutes a central mechanism enabling its efficient salt tolerance. To functionally validate a key node within this axis, we cloned a highly induced enolase gene (<em>SaENO2</em>) from the glycolytic pathway. Heterologous overexpression of <em>SaENO2</em> significantly enhanced salt tolerance in both yeast (<em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em>) and Arabidopsis (<em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>), confirming its pivotal role in mediating salt adaptation. Our study not only elucidates a dynamic metabolic reprogramming model but also provides a verified genetic resource for improving crop salt tolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101447"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biostimulant seed priming enhances germination, early field emergence and osmotic stress responses, accompanied by a distinct metabolic signature in Brassica napus L","authors":"Shreyas Padmanabha Sharma Beedubail,&nbsp;Sara Farrona,&nbsp;Michael Wittenberg,&nbsp;Tsanko Gechev,&nbsp;Neerakkal Sujeeth","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biostimulant-based seed priming in <em>Brassica napus</em> offers a sustainable approach to improve crop establishment and stress resilience. We compared an <em>Ascophyllum nodosum</em> biostimulant (EpiSeed) with hydropriming and untreated controls in spring and winter oilseed rape varieties. We integrated laboratory assays, mannitol induced osmotic stress germination test, a single site field trial, and GC–MS metabolomics across four stages: after priming (AP), dry seeds, 6 h re-imbibition under non-stress (6h-NS), and osmotic stress (6h-DS). EpiSeed priming significantly accelerated germination, enhanced early root growth and improved mannitol induced osmotic stress tolerance during germination compared with hydropriming and controls. In the field, Lagonda variety spring oilseed rape seeds primed with EpiSeed showed significantly faster seedling emergence, a non-significant trend in yield increase (15%), and reduced seed glucosinolate content (9%) in a single growing season. Metabolomics of the same variety identified 26 differentially accumulated metabolites. During priming, both treatments enriched alanine, aspartate, glutamate, cyanoamino acid, arginine, proline, and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism pathways. During re-imbibition, responses diverged: under non-stress, EpiSeed showed coordinated metabolic utilization consistent with rapid growth and seed-to-seedling transition, whereas hydropriming altered mainly 4-aminobutanoic acid (GABA). Under osmotic stress, EpiSeed was associated with a more growth-oriented metabolic response via arginine and proline metabolism, while hydropriming exhibited a survival-oriented strategy dominated by BCAA and alanine, aspartate, glutamate pathways. Temporal trajectory analysis revealed a persistent EpiSeed specific metabolic signature marked by 4-hydroxyproline, consistent with cell wall related metabolism and growth activation. Collectively, EpiSeed establishes a distinct metabolic signature linking early biochemical reprogramming to improved germination, osmotic stress resilience, and field performance in oilseed rape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 101448"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148570550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}