Current Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"The mitochondrial protein ORF463a mediates NWB cytoplasmic male sterility in radish through its interaction with a subunit of mitochondrial complex V","authors":"Yanping Wang ,&nbsp;Xiangyu Wu ,&nbsp;Yuanting Pang ,&nbsp;Ningjie Chen ,&nbsp;Qingbiao Wang ,&nbsp;Li Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) serves as an effective strategy for harnessing hybrid vigor. NWB CMS in radish has found extensive application in hybrid seed production. The gene <em>orf463a</em> was recognized as a key candidate for causing NWB cytoplasmic male sterility in radish, however, the molecular basis of male sterility remain unclear. In this study, we revealed that accumulation of ORF463a in anthers correlates with microspore abortion in radish with NWB cytoplasm. Ectopic expression of <em>orf463a</em> with a mitochondrial transit peptide in Arabidopsis resulted in non-viable pollen and short siliques, which barely contained seeds, providing further verification of its function in inducing male sterility. Moreover, coIP and yeast two hybrid studies revealed that ORF463a interacted with the α subunit (ATP1), an essential part of mitochondrial complex V, which led to decreased complex V activity and ATP concentrations in NWB CMS lines during pollen development. To further elucidate the impact of energy deficiency on the biological processes involved in pollen development, a comparative transcriptome analysis was conducted, the results revealed that differentially expressed genes were predominantly associated with the asymmetric mitosis of mononuclear microspores, as well as the subsequent processes of pollen wall formation, anther dehiscence and pollen release. Collectively, a model was suggested for the mechanism of NWB CMS system. Our study demonstrated that <em>orf463a</em> is the causal gene for male sterility in NWB cytoplasm of radish. It interacts with ATP1, a component of complex V, impairing its enzyme activity, which disrupts mitochondrial energy production and ultimately causes pollen abortion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100480"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143935675","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":"Investigation of a phytaspase activity from Nicotiana benthamiana: purification, identification, and characterization","authors":"Anastasia Barsukova,&nbsp;Lei Zhao,&nbsp;Svetlana Trusova","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100487","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100487","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phytaspases are specific plant proteases related to stress development and plant defense responses to adverse factors, such as insect or agrobacterial attacks. Phytaspases belong to the subtilisin-like proteases (subtilases), and they are distinct from other subtilases due to their strict substrate specificity and unusual life cycle. Phytaspases are localized in the apoplast under normal circumstances, sharing this feature with the majority of other subtilases. However, phytaspases move into the cell interior under stress development via a clathrin-mediated mechanism, and among subtilases, such behavior has been described only for phytaspases. The unique specificity in the structure of phytaspases enables in silico genomic analysis to predict candidates for phytaspases among the numerous plant subtilases. For example, three subtilases have been expected to be phytaspases for the plant <em>Nicotiana benthamiana</em>. Here, we demonstrate that <em>N. benthamiana</em> possesses a phytaspase-like activity that alters localization upon stress induction, and we isolate and purify the enzyme corresponding to this activity from leaf apoplast washes. Mass spectrometric analysis is used to identify the purified enzyme and establish which protein corresponds to this activity. Additionally, we characterize the substrate preferences of the <em>N. benthamiana</em> phytaspase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100487"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143902078","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":"Harnessing the power of transcription factors for crop improvement: Insights from stress tolerance, development, and metabolic regulation","authors":"Nan Jiang,&nbsp;Ernesto Picardi","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100488","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100488","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100488"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154996","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":"Biostimulation effect of Rhodobacter sphaeroides on Arabidopsis thaliana grown in soils contaminated with heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls","authors":"Rossella Labarile ,&nbsp;Pietro Cotugno ,&nbsp;Valeria Ancona ,&nbsp;Massimo Trotta ,&nbsp;Pasqua Veronico","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100486","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100486","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study investigated heavy metals (HMs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a soil from the industrialized area of Taranto, Italy, identifying 16 HMs and 31 PCB congeners. To improve soil quality, plant-assisted bioremediation and beneficial microorganisms were used. The model plant <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> was negatively impacted by contamination, but the addition of <em>Rhodobacter</em> (<em>R.</em>) <em>sphaeroides</em>, a growth-promoting photosynthetic bacterium, mitigated its effects. The bacterium overstimulated the expression of the heavy metal-associated proteins, particularly <em>AtHMP23</em>. It also reduced chlorophyll degradation by downregulating the Mg-dechelatase gene, which is otherwise upregulated under pollution stress, showing improved plant health with reduced yellowing of leaves. These findings highlight the potential of <em>R. sphaeroides</em> in supporting plant-assisted bioremediation, making its use a promising strategy for restoring multi-contaminated soils and improving plant resilience to pollutants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100486"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143912410","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":"High-throughput multiparametric live-cell and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrate antifibrotic bioactivities of O. basilicum and A. membranaceus hairy roots on human hepatic stellate cells","authors":"Shannah Secret ,&nbsp;Milena Mennecozzi ,&nbsp;Tom Crabbe ,&nbsp;Alessandra Devoto","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100484","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100484","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants are a well-established source of compounds with biopharmaceutical activity, but the diversity and often low abundance of phytochemicals have hindered their medical application. Bridging this gap requires scalable growth conditions and sustainable extraction methodologies harnessed to robust and predictive assays of disease and cell toxicity. This study utilises plant hairy root biomass and constituent bioactives combined with high-throughput assays of fibrogenic progression using activated human hepatic stellate cells.</div><div>Fibrosis is a build-up of connective tissue components like collagen type I and fibronectin and is one of the underlying drivers of liver cirrhosis, a complex and often fatal condition arising from alcohol abuse, poor diet, or viral infection. New treatments are required to reverse the predicted steady increase in the global burden of this disease.</div><div>In this study, <em>Astragalus membranaceus</em> and <em>Ocimum basilicum</em> were transformed with <em>Agrobacterium rhizogenes</em> (<em>Rhizobium rhizogenes</em>) to provide reproducible and rapidly growing hairy root cultures. Titrations of methanol and pressed root extracts obtained from both species, altered selectively, the deposition of collagen type I and fibronectin, along variable effects on live readouts of stellate cells proliferation and death, distinguishing between Caspase-3/7 activation and membrane integrity maintenance. These results differ from the wider effects observed with the known anti-fibrotic compounds Nintedanib and Silymarin, which suggests that the extracts may prove to be a significant source of novel biopharmaceuticals useful in the treatment of liver cirrhosis. Remarkably, the concentrations showing activity were not toxic for primary human hepatocytes.</div><div>Moreover, the platform developed provides a novel integrated high-throughput sustainable extraction method and readout to elucidate the mechanism of action of unknown compounds with respect to previous studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100484"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144117045","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":"Genome-wide association study for protein and color content in a tetraploid wheat collection","authors":"Ilaria Marcotuli ,&nbsp;Patricia Cabas-Lühmann ,&nbsp;Davide Caranfa ,&nbsp;Antonia Mores ,&nbsp;Stefania Lucia Giove ,&nbsp;Pasqualina Colasuonno ,&nbsp;Sara Muciaccia ,&nbsp;Maria Simone ,&nbsp;Andrés R. Schwember ,&nbsp;Agata Gadaleta","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100483","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100483","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grain protein content (GPC) and yellow index (YI) are the most important quality traits to measure the quality of tetraploid wheats that benefit the pasta consumers. The main objective of this study was to characterize GPC and YI using 144 different accessions of tetraploid wheats (<em>Triticum turgidum</em> L., 2 n = 4x = 28; AABB genome) constituted by several subspecies and evaluated in southern Italy for 2 years (2019 and 2022) and in central Chile during 2021 in order to identify new useful superior alleles. SNPs marker, suitable for genome-wide association study (GWAS) were 3924. GWAS was carried out using the Mixed Linear Model (Q+K) which identified 22 marker-trait associations for both traits analyzed, representing 10 and 12 regions associated with grain protein content and yellow index, respectively. QTL linked to GPC were detected on chromosomes 2 A, 3 A, 5 A, and 7 A, while QTL for YI were localized on chromosomes 1B, 2B, 3 A, 4B, 6 A, 6B, 7 A, reflecting their complex genetic nature. The phenotypic variation (R²) explained, ranking from 8.1 % to 8.6 % for GPC and from 8.2 % to 11.6 % for YI content. In addition, one gene involved in nitrogen metabolism, the <em>glutamine synthetase 2</em> (<em>GS2</em>) on chromosome 2 A, and the main gene involved in the synthesis of carotenoid pigments, the <em>phytoene synthase 1</em> (<em>Psy-A1</em>) on chromosome 7 A were identified as key candidate genes regulating these two quality traits. Finally, the identification of new haplotypes improves our understanding of the genetic mechanisms controlling protein and color traits in tetraploid wheat and facilitate the development of superior wheat varieties in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100483"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143903773","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—Big player in plant-microbe symbiosis","authors":"Qian-xi Li ,&nbsp;Fu-cheng Lin ,&nbsp;Zhen-zhu Su","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100481","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100481","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endophytic fungi are recognized as beneficial microorganisms that form symbiotic relationships with plants. These fungi enhance plant adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses, promote plant growth through the secretion of phytohormones, and facilitate nutrient absorption, while in return, they derive nutritional benefits from their host plants. Such intricate and balanced associations hold significant promise for agriculture, particularly in improving yield stability and stress tolerance in economically important crops. Despite decades of research deepening our understanding of fungal-plant symbiosis, systematic syntheses of emerging discoveries remain scarce. This paper elucidates three key insights: (1) the historical progression of research on endophytic fungi, tracing the field from early descriptive ecology to modern molecular insights into symbiosis; (2) the molecular cross-talk underpinning symbiotic progression, from initial recognition to metabolic integration; and (3) the molecular mechanisms by which endophytic fungi confer growth promotion and disease resistance to their host plants. By bridging fundamental symbiosis mechanisms with their potential agricultural applications, we provide a conceptual framework for leveraging endophytic fungi as biocontrol agents in sustainable agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100481"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143876605","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":"Candidate gene discovery for nitrogen use efficiency in rice based on genome-wide association study","authors":"Kunchi Yu ,&nbsp;Jin Liu ,&nbsp;Mingmao Sun ,&nbsp;Xiaoding Ma ,&nbsp;Bing Han ,&nbsp;Maomao Li ,&nbsp;Zhengwu Zhao ,&nbsp;Longzhi Han ,&nbsp;Di Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Providing reliable and sufficient food resources for a growing global population is a significant societal challenge, in particular achieving this while keeping nitrogen pollution within safe environmental limits. Therefore, it is crucial to identify nitrogen-use efficient (NUE) accessions and identify candidate genes associated with NUE for sustainable agricultural development. Here, we present analysis on the genetic diversity of 518 accessions of Chinese germplasm and performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 16 traits associated with NUE and yield. We identified a total of 89 significant loci, including 47 associated with NUE and 42 with yield, of which 56 (63 %) were newly discovered. Through association and <em>indica</em>-<em>japonica</em> genetic differentiation analysis, we identified a high-confidence candidate gene - <em>OsNPT4</em> - that encoding a protein from the POT family. This gene was associated with nitrogen grain production efficiency (NGPE), nitrogen harvest index (NHI), and tillering number (TN). RNA-seq results indicated that <em>OsNPT4</em> may play a crucial role in effectuating the response of rice plants to nitrogen treatment. Further haplotype analysis revealed significant differences among the various haplotypes of this gene concerning NGPE, NHI, and TN, with accessions carrying Hap1 demonstrating strong NUE and increased yields. RT-qPCR results showed that <em>OsNPT4</em> expression significantly increased in Hap1-carrying accessions in both leaves and roots upon treatment, while no significant differences were observed in Hap2-carrying accessions. This further confirmed <em>OsNPT4</em> as a key candidate gene associated with varying NUE. Taken together, our results provide a theoretical foundation for cloning NUE genes and facilitate the design of molecular breeding strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100479"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826004","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":"Two-year QTL dissecting of high harvest index and related traits in a novel rice variety Yuenongsimaio","authors":"Shiguang Wang ,&nbsp;Liting Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei Liu,&nbsp;Xiaofei Wang,&nbsp;Haoxiang Wu,&nbsp;Hao Chen,&nbsp;Tengkui Chen,&nbsp;Zhanhua Lu,&nbsp;Xiuying He","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100475","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High harvest index (HI), defined as the grain yield-to-biomass ratio (≥ 0.55), reflects a well-balanced source-sink relationship. It is a key trait in rice high-HI breeding programs, which has proven to be a successful strategy for developing super high-yield rice varieties. However, its genetic basis remains elusive. This study conducted QTL analysis for HI-related traits using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between a <em>geng</em>/<em>japonica</em> cultivar, Lijiangxintuanheigu (LTH), and a high HI <em>xian</em>/<em>indica</em> variety, Yuenongsimiao (YNSM). A high‑density genetic map with 6674 bin markers identified 97 QTLs across 12 HI-related traits, forming 13 QTL clusters that affect the source-sink related traits in rice. These bin markers were converted from 1,009,324 high-quality SNPs sourced from the sequenced RIL population. Notably, <em>qRSC1</em> (QTL cluster of <em>rice source capacity 1</em>), which included <em>qFLL1</em>, <em>qSTW1</em>, <em>qBM1.2</em>, and <em>qHI1</em>, was tightly linked to the semi-dwarf gene <em>sd1</em> and collectively shaped the high HI plant architecture of YNSM. In contrast, <em>qRSC3</em> (<em>qFLL3</em>/<em>qFLW3</em>/<em>qSTW3</em>/<em>qBM3.1</em>/<em>qHI3.1</em>) exhibited an opposite effect and positively regulated source-related traits. Among nine QTLs associated with yield per plant (YPP), only <em>qYPP2.2</em>, part of <em>qRSS2</em> (QTL cluster of <em>rice sink size 2</em>), was consistently detected over two consecutive years. <em>qRSS2</em> governed sink size by integrating multiple yield-related QTLs, including <em>qYPP2.2</em>. Overall, <em>qRSC1</em>, <em>qRSC3</em>, and <em>qRSS2</em> collectively optimized source-sink balance, enabling YNSM’s high HI and high yields. These findings provide insights into the genetic basis of high HI in YNSM and may facilitate breeding high-yielding rice with superior HI.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100475"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143816036","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":"Meta-analysis of grapevine microbiota: Insights into the influence of cultivars, plant parts, geography, and vineyard practices on bacterial diversity","authors":"Daniel Legesse,&nbsp;Yassine Bouhouch,&nbsp;Cédric Jacquard,&nbsp;Lisa Sanchez,&nbsp;Essaid Ait-Barka,&nbsp;Qassim Esmaeel","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100478","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Investigating the grapevine microbiome is crucial for developing sustainable management practices in viticulture. This meta-analysis used amplicon metagenomics to analyze bacterial sequences from the Sequence Read Archive, covering 756 grapevine accessions. The dataset includes 378 paired end sequencing runs across twelve cultivars, four sample types, six origins, and two vineyard conditions. The analysis revealed significant variations in microbial communities across different grapevine cultivars and sample types, highlighting the influence of both the cultivar and ecological niche on microbial diversity. Differential abundance analyses further identified key microbial taxa driving variations across different grapevine plant parts. Furthermore, the study identified microbial taxa that consistently thrive across diverse conditions, suggesting their potential role in grapevine health and development. These findings support the possibility of utilizing specific microbial agents for biological control and sustainable vineyard management. This meta-analysis underscores the complexity of the grapevine microbiome and its pivotal role in vineyard ecosystems, providing valuable insights for future research and the advancement of sustainable viticulture practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100478"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799503","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}