Current Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Chlorophyll a/b-binding Overexpression 2 regulates nitric oxide signaling in Arabidopsis response to sulfur deficiency","authors":"Oluwaseun Olayemi Aluko ,&nbsp;Zhixin Liu ,&nbsp;Yaping Zhou ,&nbsp;Hao Liu ,&nbsp;Aizhi Qin ,&nbsp;Qianli Zhao ,&nbsp;Mengfan Li ,&nbsp;Chunyang Li ,&nbsp;Luyao Kong ,&nbsp;Lulu Yan ,&nbsp;Vincent Ninkuu ,&nbsp;Jean-David Rochaix ,&nbsp;Lam-Son Phan Tran ,&nbsp;Xuwu Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100452","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100452","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Several studies have been conducted on plant responses to nutrient stressors; however, the mechanism underlying low-sulfur (LS) stress responses is still unclear. Here, we elucidated the function of <em>COE2</em> in <em>Arabidopsis</em> response to sulfur deficiency using a series of phenotypic, physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies of the loss-of-function of <em>COE2</em> (<em>coe2</em> mutant). Under low sulfur conditions, WT seedlings had considerably longer roots than the <em>coe2</em> seedlings. Although the chlorophyll fluorescence of <em>coe2</em> and WT was lower under low sulfur, the reduction was more pronounced in the WT seedlings, indicating WT sensitivity to LS stress. Next, RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to investigate the roles of the <em>COE2</em> in <em>Arabidopsis</em> response to sulfur deficiency at the molecular level. The <em>coe2</em> and WT leaves responded to the induction of genes related to jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, and water deprivation, which are all crucial for leaf growth and defense. WT roots had more upregulated genes than the <em>coe2</em> roots; thus, activation of these genes is tightly linked to WT and <em>coe2</em> root responses to LS stress. We further evaluated the involvement of <em>AtPSBO1</em> (a photosynthetic-inducible gene) in <em>coe2</em> growth regulation under LS conditions. Compared with the <em>coe2</em> seedlings, plants expressing <em>35S</em>::<em>PSBO1</em> exhibit increased sensitivity to sulfur deficiency in the leaves and roots, suggesting <em>COE2</em> functions in chloroplast and root development under LS conditions. This study highlights the crucial roles of <em>COE2</em> in root-shoot coordination in response to sulfur deficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100452"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143436904","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":"Integrating microplastic research in sustainable agriculture: Challenges and future directions for food production","authors":"Marcelo Illanes ,&nbsp;María-Trinidad Toro ,&nbsp;Mauricio Schoebitz ,&nbsp;Nelson Zapata ,&nbsp;Diego A. Moreno ,&nbsp;María Dolores López-Belchí","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In agroecosystems, plants are frequently subjected to a wide range of environmental stressors that have a substantial influence on plant physiology, crop performance, and food security. Abiotic stress responses to plant crop physiology and performance have been widely studied, but the co-occurrence of stressors, such as emerging contaminants (e.g., pharmaceuticals, plastic particles, or pesticides), combined with environmental conditions, remains understudied. Microplastics (MPs) have been identified as modifiers of plant physiology; therefore, these particles present a risk to the quality and safety of plant food production systems. One relevant question is how these emerging pollutants interact with the increasingly extreme environmental conditions of today. For example, evidence indicates that the interaction of MPs particles with elevated levels of ambient CO₂ can modify stomatal conductance. In addition, their interaction with high temperatures may induce increased oxidative stress, whereas drought conditions can adversely affect vegetative growth. Salinity has been shown to alter root development, and MP particles can enhance the adsorption of trace metals onto plant tissues, thereby compromising food safety and increasing health risks. Currently, the application of omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, offers novel insights into molecular mechanisms that enable the identification of specific biomarkers associated with MP exposure. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms can be employed to analyze complex datasets, enhancing our ability to predict the impacts of MPs on plant health and crop performance under different environmental conditions. These results are significant for agricultural practices and policy formulation. As the prevalence of MPs in the environment continues to escalate, policymakers should address the potential risks these contaminants constitute to food safety and agricultural sustainability. This review compiles and synthesizes the most recent evidence regarding the impact of various stressors on crop quality and performance, with a particular emphasis on the interactions involving different plastic particles present in the environment and evaluates their potential risks to food safety and environmental resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100458"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350246","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":"AI-enhanced 3D-QSAR screening of fragment-based novel designed molecules targeting Phalaris minor ACCase","authors":"Bikash Kumar Rajak ,&nbsp;Priyanka Rani ,&nbsp;Durg Vijay Singh ,&nbsp;Nitesh Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100454","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100454","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase: EC 6.4.1.2) is a crucial enzyme for fatty acid synthesis in plants, particularly in the Graminae family, making it an ideal target for herbicides aimed at selective weed control in agriculture. One persistent challenge is the infestation of <em>Phalaris minor</em> in wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>) fields, leading to significant crop yield losses. While herbicides are the primary solution to manage <em>P. minor</em>, their overuse has led to resistant biotypes, driving the need for novel herbicide molecules. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the agritech revolution, researchers are now applying advanced computational techniques to identify and design effective ACCase inhibitors. Using small molecule databases such as ZINC, CHEMBL, and DrugBank, an initial screening based on structural similarity to known ACCase inhibitors is performed. AI-driven high-throughput virtual screening (HTVS) then filters these candidates followed by physiochemical properties based screening. The selected herbicide-like molecules are further processed through fragment-based design to generate a library of new compounds, refined using binding affinity thresholds (-8.5 kcal/mol) and Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models. Finally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations validated the interaction stability of these potential herbicides over 100 ns, yielding four promising candidates optimized for ACCase inhibition. This study showcases how AI-powered methodologies are transforming agricultural science by facilitating the design of next-generation herbicides that can address resistant weed biotypes, underscoring the role of technology in sustainable crop protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100454"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143379436","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":"Microbes and metabolites of a plant-parasite interaction: Deciphering the ecology of Tetrastigma host choice in the world’s largest parasitic flower, Rafflesia","authors":"Jeanmaire Molina ,&nbsp;Roche C. de Guzman ,&nbsp;Rinat Abzalimov ,&nbsp;Wenkai Huang ,&nbsp;Anusha Guruprasad ,&nbsp;Ronniel Pedales ,&nbsp;Adhityo Wicaksono ,&nbsp;Destiny Davis ,&nbsp;John Rey Callado ,&nbsp;Hans Bänziger ,&nbsp;Piyakaset Suksathan ,&nbsp;William Eaton ,&nbsp;Pride Yin ,&nbsp;Marco Bürger ,&nbsp;Mick Erickson ,&nbsp;Stephen Jones ,&nbsp;James Adams ,&nbsp;Susan Pell","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100456","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100456","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Rafflesia,</em> known for producing the world’s largest flowers, is a holoparasite found only in Southeast Asia's rapidly diminishing tropical forests. Completely dependent on its <em>Tetrastigma</em> host plants, <em>Rafflesia</em> grows covertly within its host until flowering, but the ecological factors driving host susceptibility are unknown. With most <em>Rafflesia</em> species on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, understanding the complex ecological interactions between <em>Rafflesia</em> and its host is crucial for conservation. In this study, we integrated metagenomic data with metabolomic profiles to identify potential functional relationships between microbial communities and specific metabolites, shedding light on their ecological roles in <em>Rafflesia's</em> life cycle. Key findings reveal that microbial taxa such as Microbacteriaceae and Nocardioidaceae correlate with elevated levels of polyphenols, particularly gallic acid derivatives, which may shape the chemical environment conducive to <em>Rafflesia</em> development. Complex-carbon-degrading bacteria thrive in the chemically distinct environment of <em>Rafflesia</em> buds, while an unknown group of Saccharimonadales was enriched in <em>Tetrastigma</em> host species. Docosenamide production in <em>Rafflesia</em> buds and their hosts may facilitate parasitic infection, while coumarin compounds in non-host <em>Tetrastigma</em> species may exert allelopathic effects. The enrichment of gallic acid derivatives, the phytohormone adenine, and gall-associated bacteria suggests that <em>Rafflesia</em> buds may function similarly to plant galls, manipulating host tissues to support their reproductive development. This study highlights the dynamic microbial shifts during <em>Rafflesia’</em>s development, emphasizing its symbiotic relationship with microbial communities and hosts. In identifying essential microbial and chemical conditions that could improve propagation techniques, this research has practical applications in ex situ conservation efforts, aiding in the rescue of the world’s largest flowers from the brink of extinction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100456"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143348717","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":"Removing limitations surrounding terpenoid biosynthesis by biotechnological techniques in Ferula sp.: A review","authors":"Zahra Aghaali ,&nbsp;Jun-Li Yang ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Naghavi ,&nbsp;Meisam Zargar","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100455","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100455","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ferula</em> sp. has achieved widespread fame as a producer of specialized terpenoids used as raw materials in fragrances, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Since ancient times, <em>Ferula</em> species has been utilized to treat various health issues, such as asthma, toothache, inflammation, cancer, and digestive disorders. Besides, a growing body of research proves the healing efficacy of <em>Ferula</em> plants in treating modern diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), HIV, and COVID19. The major challenge surrounding the commercialization of <em>Ferula</em>-derived terpenoids is their low quantity in <em>Ferula</em> plants. This necessitates the exploitation of approaches to circumvent this barrier and to enhance their production level to meet the continuous demands of industries for <em>Ferula</em> terpenoids. Recently, via functional genomics, omics technologies, and high-throughput analytical techniques, our understanding about terpenoid biosynthesis and regulation has been deepened, paving the way for the overproduction of target terpenoids. This review examines the potential of hairy root culture, CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing, and metabolic engineering, including gene overexpression and enzyme engineering, for enhancing <em>Ferula</em> capacity tailored to industrial and medicinal needs. The strategies present here, except hairy root culture, have never been proposed or applied in <em>Ferula</em> species. In its ultimate form, the proposed strategies are expected to reach large-scale terpenoid production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100455"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143301267","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":"HPGCN: A graph convolutional network-based prediction model for herbal heat/cold properties","authors":"Qikai Niu ,&nbsp;Jing’ai Wang ,&nbsp;Hongtao Li ,&nbsp;Lin Tong ,&nbsp;Haiyu Xu ,&nbsp;Weina Zhang ,&nbsp;Ziling Zeng ,&nbsp;Sihong Liu ,&nbsp;Wenjing Zong ,&nbsp;Siqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Siwei Tian ,&nbsp;Huamin Zhang ,&nbsp;Bing Li","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Herbal properties are part of the fundamental theories of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has been of great significance for herbal formulas and disease treatment in clinics for thousands of years. However, determining herbal properties, such as heat/cold, still relies on ancient books and the doctor's experience, which can present significant limitations. In this study, we propose an herbal property graph convolutional network (HPGCN) model by combining TCM theory, modern pharmacological mechanisms, prior knowledge of herbal properties, and intelligent algorithms, which can effectively predict herbal heat/cold properties. Based on protein-protein interactions (PPI) and herb-herb networks, 30 target genes were selected as features for herbal heat/cold property prediction. Compared to previous machine learning algorithms, the HPGCN obtained optimal classification prediction results for ACC, Recall, Precision, F1, and AUC indicators by 5-fold cross-validation on the training and test sets. The function of herbs predicted by HPGCN improved by 3 % in hit@k compared to predictions that did not account for herbal properties. Herbs with disputed heat/cold properties in ancient books (such as <em>Pulsatilliae Radix</em> and <em>Menthae Herba</em>) were predicted using recommended property probabilities. The proposed HPGCN model may have profound practical value and significance for elucidating the scientific mechanisms of herbal property theory and in herbal medicine development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100448"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143301256","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":"The GbbZIP41 transcription factor participates in terpene trilactones biosynthesis in Ginkgo biloba L.","authors":"Nuo Wang,&nbsp;Yi Tu,&nbsp;Sirui Zeng,&nbsp;Jiabao Ye,&nbsp;Weiwei Zhang,&nbsp;Feng Xu,&nbsp;Yongling Liao","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100449","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100449","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Terpene trilactones (TTLs) are important secondary metabolites in ginkgo tree (<em>Ginkgo biloba</em>), which play a crucial role in the treatment of human cardiovascular disease and prevention of thrombosis, and have been widely used in food, medicine and health products. However, there are few studies on the transcriptional modulation of TTLs biosynthesis and gene regulatory network of TTLs biosynthesis remains unclear. Here, we screened the transcription factor GbbZIP41 that may be involved in the biosynthesis of TTLs and verified its function by transgenic technology. The results showed that GbbZIP41 is a protein located in the nucleus and encodes 477 amino acids, which is highly expressed in <em>G. biloba</em> leaves. The analysis of total terpene content and <em>GbbZIP41</em> gene expression in <em>G. biloba</em> leaves showed the opposite trend. In addition, the overexpression of <em>GbbZIP41</em> gene in tobacco reduced the content of terpenoids and down-regulated the enzyme genes of MVA pathway and MEP pathway. Therefore, these results suggested that GbbZIP41 negatively regulates the biosynthesis of TTLs by inhibiting key enzyme genes in the TTLs synthesis pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100449"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143134625","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":"Dissection of the genetic loci for grain hardness and variation of the key genes in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)","authors":"Jinna Hou ,&nbsp;Pengge Sun ,&nbsp;Pei Yan ,&nbsp;Shenghui Geng ,&nbsp;Wenxu Li ,&nbsp;Maomao Qin ,&nbsp;Ziju Dai ,&nbsp;Baoming Tian ,&nbsp;Zhengqing Wu ,&nbsp;Zhengfu Zhou ,&nbsp;Changwen Li ,&nbsp;Zhensheng Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100451","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100451","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identification of genetic loci for grain hardness was widely concerned by geneticists and breeders. Heretofore numerous genetic loci (genes) associated with grain hardness were detected in crops by previous studies. However, the genetic network and molecular mechanism for hardness control have not been extensively elucidated in wheat. In the present study, an association population consisted with 207 wheat accessions was planted across three years and the grain hardness index (GHI) of each accession was measured. The genetic loci associated with GHI were dissected based on a high-throughput SNPs map through genome-wide association study (GWAS). Finally, eight QTL, which explained 8.29 % – 14.59 % of the phenotypic variation, were revealed on chromosomes 1 A, 1B, 3 A, 3B, 5 A, 5B and 5D (2). The previously reported major genes for GHI, <em>Pina</em> and <em>Pinb</em>, were anchored in <em>Qghi.5D-1</em>, which was repeatedly detected under all environments (BLUP included). The haplotypes of <em>Pina</em> and <em>Pinb</em> were discriminated in the association population. Totally, six haplotypes were identified and among them the haplotypes <em>Pina-D1a</em>/<em>PinbD1b</em> (56.77 %) and <em>Pina-Dla</em>/<em>Pinb-D1a</em> (31.25 %) accounted for the highest proportion. Addtionally, a novel haplotype, <em>Pina-null</em>/<em>Pinb-null</em>, was detected in <em>var</em>. ‘Longfumai4hao’. The novel haplotype caused by a large fragment (about 26 Kb) deletion spanning <em>Pina</em> and <em>Pinb</em> genomic region. Furthermore, six KASP markers were developed, among which four were used to discriminate haplotypes of <em>Pina</em> and <em>Pinb</em> and two were developed from the peak SNPs of the major QTL located on 1 A and 1B, respectively. The present results elucidated genetic loci for grain hardness in wheat, not only provide novel genes and germplasms for appropriate hardness wheat breeding, but also assist to reveal the molecular mechanism under grain hardness regulation and improve end-use quality in wheat.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100451"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143135430","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":"Natural variation in HD10.1 promoter causing delayed heading date in rice","authors":"Ruoju Yang ,&nbsp;Ying Bian ,&nbsp;Zhengjiu Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaobo Zhang ,&nbsp;Junyi Gong ,&nbsp;Jiongjiong Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100445","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Heading date is a critical agronomic trait in rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em> L.). Utilizing chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) with the <em>indica</em> cultivar “Huanghuazhan” (HHZ) as the recipient parent and “Basmati Surkh 89–15” (BAS) as the donor parent, we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) regulating heading date, designated as <em>HD10.1</em>. In this study, we characterized a functionally defective allele of <em>HD10.1</em>^<em>BAS</em>, a novel allele of <em>Ehd1</em>. The divergence in the promoter region between <em>HD10.1</em>^<em>BAS</em> and <em>HD10.1</em>^<em>HHZ</em> results in reduced transcriptional expression of <em>HD10.1</em>^<em>BAS</em> in NIL-<em>HD10.1</em>^<em>BAS</em>, leading to a delay in heading by approximately 10 days compared to NIL-<em>HD10.1</em>^<em>HHZ</em> under long-day conditions. An insertion-deletion (InDel) within the <em>HD10.1</em>^<em>BAS</em> promoter may be a key factor contributing to its decreased transcriptional activity. Moreover, our findings suggest that the introgression of <em>HD10.1</em>^<em>BAS</em> into the HHZ cultivar exhibits potential for yield improvement. This study provides valuable genetic resources for molecular breeding strategies aimed at optimizing heading date while simultaneously enhancing yield in rice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100445"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143135429","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":"Plastic hotspot areas in riverine habitats: Riparian vegetation diversity and structure entrap riverine plastics","authors":"Luca Gallitelli ,&nbsp;Maurizio Cutini ,&nbsp;Giulia Cesarini ,&nbsp;Massimiliano Scalici","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100450","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100450","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plastics are a significant environmental problem, accumulating in ecosystems and causing harmful effects. While macroplastics in rivers have only recently gained attention, most studies focus on their transport to the sea, neglecting the fact that plastics often remain within fluvial systems. Previous research has primarily considered abiotic factors in this transport process. However, recent findings indicate that vegetation plays a crucial role in trapping plastics in urban and lowland watercourses. The role and structure of riparian vegetation in plastic entrapment are poorly understood. This study investigates the relationship between vegetation structure and plastic entrapment applying the 3D Vegetation Index (3DVI) to quantify vegetation complexity and its capacity to trap plastics. Field data on plastics and vegetation were collected from six rivers in central Italy across three riverine zones. Results show a significant correlation between macroplastics trapped in vegetation and vegetation structure, with denser and more diverse plant communities trapping more plastics. Particularly, a significant regression between 3DVI and plastics in vegetation was observed only in the lower river zone. The higher the 3DVI value, the more complex the vegetation, indicating greater plastic trapping efficiency. These findings suggest that biotic factors, particularly vegetation structure, are important variables for driving riverine plastic entrapment at local scales. This study is the first to apply a vegetation index to describe the complexity and diversity of plant communities related to plastic entrapment. Future research urgently needs to unveil this <em>phenomenon</em> at a global scale as well as to focus on the interactions and effects of macroplastics on plants. Understanding plant structures and 3DVI usage in retaining plastics can help identify plastic hotspot areas and inform mitigation and clean-up efforts to address plastic pollution effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100450"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143134627","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}