Acta Physiologiae Plantarum最新文献

{"title":"Differential responses of ‘Muscat Hamburg’ and ‘Balıkçı Siyahı’ grapevines to boric acid application under salinity stress: mitigation versus toxicity","authors":"Cengiz Ilingi,&nbsp;Yasin Akgun,&nbsp;Mert Ilhan","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03955-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03955-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study was conducted during the 2023–2024 vegetation period in an unheated plastic greenhouse at the Ordu University research site. In this study, agricultural perlite was used as a trial medium for soilless cultivation, and the effectiveness of boric acid in reducing the effects of salt stress was investigated on ‘Balıkçı Siyahı (<i>Vitis labrusca</i>)’ and ‘Muscat Hamburg (<i>Vitis vinifera</i>)’ grape varieties. Within the scope of the experiment, shoot, root, and physiological parameters, including chlorophyll content, ion leakage, and cell membrane damage rate, were comprehensively evaluated. Salt stress significantly suppressed growth parameters, particularly shoot length, shoot diameter, and fresh shoot weight. Conversely, root-related morphological characteristics, including root dry weight and number, were stimulated under salt stress, demonstrating a defense mechanism to optimize water uptake and restrict the translocation of toxic ions. Overall, ‘Balıkçı Siyahı’ exhibited superior salt tolerance compared to the ‘Muscat Hamburg’ variety. The application of boric acid notably improved plant growth and physiological stability under saline and non-saline conditions. Among the boric acid concentrations, the 1 mM dose provided optimal physiological protection for the tolerant variety, effectively reducing ion leakage and preserving the chlorophyll content. However, under saline conditions, a high boron concentration (2 mM) was found to cause significant toxicity in the more salt-sensitive ‘Muscat Hamburg’ variety. Therefore, to alleviate salt stress, the use of a 1 mM boric acid concentration and cultivation of the ‘Balıkçı Siyahı’ grape variety are particularly recommended.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148807504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological responses of some ancient walnut genotypes to drought: implications for germplasm utilization","authors":"Hojjat Ataee,&nbsp;Mahdi Alizadeh,&nbsp;Saadat Sarikhani,&nbsp;Kourosh Vahdati","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03957-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03957-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Evaluation and identification of germplasms in nature is one of the ways to cope with various biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we collected and assessed the half-sister seeds from 10 local walnut tree genotypes (each genotype over 100 years old), to evaluate their response to drought stress. We evaluated important photosynthetic traits i.e. the ratio of variable to initial chlorophyll fluorescence (FV/FO), the ratio of maximal to initial chlorophyll fluorescence (FM/FO), Maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (FV/FM) and total chlorophylls, as well as physiological and biochemical traits (relative water content, soluble carbohydrates, proline and malondialdehyde) that had been performed on different plants in other experiments. The results of the measured indices in plants under drought stress were significant at the <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05 level. Photosynthetic traits, total chlorophylls, relative leaf water content, soluble carbohydrates, and proline were severely affected by drought stress, and their amounts in cells also changed with increasing drought stress duration. Proline and soluble carbohydrate traits protected the plant during drought stress. Genotype B34 had the highest amount of proline (69.38 µg.g − 1 FW), soluble carbohydrates (252.51 mg.g − 1 FW) and total chlorophyll during stress. Genotypes B37 and B8 showed the highest amount of malondialdehyde (56.29 &amp; 53.5 nmol g-1 FW), in these genotypes the leaves fell and turned yellow. This study showed that the use and evaluation of local germplasm can help to improve the growth and performance of plants, deal with climate changes and all kinds of stresses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148807500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research progress on jasmonic acid and its methyl ester regulating crop physiology and stress resistance mechanisms","authors":"Donghong Lai,&nbsp;Yuehong Peng,&nbsp;Fei Hong Li,&nbsp;Qiangqiang Xiong","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03956-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03956-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Jasmonic acid (JA) and its methyl ester (MeJA), as crucial plant signaling molecules, play a pivotal role in crops’ adaptation to environmental changes, regulation of growth and development, and quality formation. This article systematically summarizes the research progress of JA and MeJA in regulating crop flowering time, enhancing quality and aroma components, boosting antioxidant capacity, regulating secondary metabolite accumulation, preserving fruits, strengthening disease and pest resistance, and improving abiotic stress resistance. It focuses on exploring the molecular mechanisms of their actions and emphasizes the concentration dependence and species specificity of their regulatory effects, providing a reference for further exploring their mechanisms of action and applications in agricultural production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148807595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological and molecular responses of lentil to plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculation and targeted foliar application of melatonin and spermidine under dryland drought stress","authors":"Mehdi Movahedi,&nbsp;Ahmad Gholami,&nbsp;Valiallah Ghasemi Omran,&nbsp;Mehdi Baradaran Firouzabadi,&nbsp;Mustafa Heydari","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03939-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03939-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Drought stress severely limits lentil (<i>Lens culinaris</i> Medik.) productivity in dryland farming systems, necessitating effective and sustainable mitigation strategies. This field study evaluated the individual and combined effects of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> inoculation and foliar applications of melatonin and spermidine on growth, physiological traits, antioxidant responses, yield, and drought-related gene expression under rainfed conditions. Bacterial inoculation significantly increased plant height (45%), total dry weight (234%), and grain yield (273%) compared to untreated controls. Foliar application of melatonin (100 µM) enhanced plant height (36%) and total dry weight (256%). The combined melatonin–spermidine treatment resulted in the greatest improvements in plant height (63%), leaf area index (230%), and grain yield (314%). Photosynthetic pigment content, antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), and relative water content were significantly increased under combined treatments, while thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content decreased by 46.5%, indicating reduced oxidative damage. Gene expression analysis showed that <i>P. fluorescens</i> inoculation was associated with elevated expression of the aquaporin gene aquaporin plasma membrane intrinsic protein 2 (AQPIP2) (1.7-fold) and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA;24-fold), coinciding with improved physiological performance related to water status and carbon metabolism. Melatonin–spermidine co-application also enhanced expression of these genes, suggesting coordinated physiological and molecular responses under drought stress. Overall, these results indicated that integrating PGPR inoculation with targeted foliar applications of melatonin and spermidine can improve lentil performance under dryland conditions through complementary physiological and molecular adjustments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phytotoxic effects of olive mill waste on primary metabolism and morpho-physiological parameters of broad bean (Vicia faba L.)","authors":"Mohammed Bouhadi,&nbsp;Qaiser Javed,&nbsp;Nikola Major,&nbsp;Smiljana Goreta Ban,&nbsp;Dean Ban,&nbsp;David Heath,&nbsp;Marko Černe","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03949-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03949-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Olive mill waste (OMW) presents a complex environmental challenge due to its high phenolic content and acidity, yet its precise impact on integrated plant metabolic networks remains poorly understood. This study investigates the physiological and biochemical plasticity of broad bean (<i>Vicia faba</i> L.) in response to increasing concentrations (0% to 15%) of olive pomace filtrate (OPF). While high OPF levels (&gt; 5%) induced severe growth inhibition reducing shoot and root biomass by up to 53% and 64%, respectively and triggered significant lipid peroxidation (0.35–0.5 nmol TBARS /g dry biomass), comprehensive LC-MS/MS profiling revealed a strategic metabolic “pivot.” We observed a systematic depletion of charged polar amino acids, including asparagine (80.95 µg/g dry biomass) and glutamine (996.7 µg/g dry biomass), which was contrasted by a massive 11-fold accumulation of the osmo-protectant proline (754.4 µg/g dry biomass). Furthermore, the results demonstrate a profound modulation of hormonal homeostasis, where the synchronized elevation of both indole-3-acetic acid (59.19 µg/g dry biomass) and abscisic acid (2.40 µg/g dry biomass) indicates an adaptive coordination between growth-regulating and stress-responsive pathways. Dynamic shifts in nucleotide metabolism were also evident, with monophosphate nucleotides exhibiting higher sensitivity than their corresponding nucleosides. The concurrent peak in FRAP and ORAC activities, alongside a dramatic increase in dopamine derivatives (8808 µg/g dry biomass), indicates that <i>V. faba</i> actively reroutes primary carbon and nitrogen resources toward the phenylpropanoid pathway for antioxidant defense. These findings provide a mechanistic framework for understanding how pulse crops reprogram their primary metabolism to survive high-phenolic organic waste exposure, highlighting the dual nature of OMW as both a phytotoxin and a potential metabolic stimulus.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interaction between a grape thioredoxin h4 and peroxidases: a study based on protein interaction network analysis and experimental validation","authors":"Reza Heidari Japelaghi,&nbsp;Raheem Haddad","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03951-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03951-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A cDNA of VvTrx <i>h</i>4 was isolated from leaf tissue of grape (<i>Vitis vinifera</i> L. cv. Askari) by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. The VvTrx <i>h</i>4 was heterologously expressed in a bacterial host (<i>Escherichia coli</i>) and its catalytic properties were investigated. The VvTrx <i>h</i>4 showed the disulfide reductase function by reduction of insulin and DTNB as substrates. Under high temperature treatment, the structure of the VvTrx <i>h</i>4 protein was shifted from low molecular weight (LMW) forms to high molecular weight (HMW) species and its disulfide reductase activity subsequently decreased at high temperatures. In addition, the high temperature treatment-dependent structural and functional changes of the VvTrx <i>h</i>4 were induced by treatment with H₂O₂. Moreover, further incubation of the VvTrx <i>h</i>4 in H₂O₂ after elimination of DTT almost returned the oligomeric structures of the VvTrx <i>h</i>4, suggesting that the structural alterations of the VvTrx <i>h</i>4 are affected by redox status. Using protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and molecular docking assays, several target proteins were specified for the VvTrx <i>h</i>4, indicating that the VvTrx <i>h</i>4 is able to provide reducing power for peroxidases (POXs) in order to reduce H₂O₂ in vitro. Nevertheless, with NADPH-thioredoxin system (NTS), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed the reduction of H₂O₂ more efficiently than glutathione peroxidase (GPX), showing that the VvTrx <i>h</i>4 may act as a regulator for enzymes scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, the GPX may be indirectly reduced by the NTS pathway through reduced glutathione (GSH), proposing a crosstalk between the NTS and the GSH/GSSG pathways.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The potential of Alternanthera littoralis P. Beauv. for saline soil phytoremediation and use as animal feed","authors":"Chrislaine Yonara Schoenhals Ritter,&nbsp;Jaqueline da Silva dos Santos,&nbsp;Marcelo Nogueira do Amaral,&nbsp;Gustavo Muniz Pereira,&nbsp;Charisma Prietto Alles,&nbsp;Priscila Ariane Auler,&nbsp;Milene Lopes dos Santos,&nbsp;Márcio Nunes Corrêa,&nbsp;Sidnei Deuner,&nbsp;Eugenia Jacira Bolacel Braga","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03943-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03943-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil salinization is an increasing global concern, demanding sustainable strategies for agricultural recovery and food security. Halophytes such as <i>Alternanthera littoralis</i> P. Beauv. represent a promising alternative for phytoremediation and forage production in saline environments. This study evaluated gas exchange, effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII), electron transport rate (ETR), antioxidative enzyme activity, and nutritional composition of <i>A. littoralis</i> under 0, 100, 200, and 300 mM NaCl. The species showed high salinity tolerance, with preferential Na⁺ accumulation in shoots (up to 84.51 g kg⁻¹ dry mass at 300 mM NaCl) and maximum accumulation in roots (21.94 g kg⁻¹ at 200 mM), highlighting its potential for Na⁺ phytoextraction. Despite increasing salinity, <i>A. littoralis</i> maintained stable ΦPSII and electron transport rate (ETR) values under saline conditions, indicating maintenance of photochemical activity. Leaf SOD activity increased under saline conditions, whereas MDA, H₂O₂, and electrolyte leakage did not differ among treatments, suggesting activation of antioxidative defense response without evidence of severe oxidative damage. Bromatological analyses revealed high protein content, reduced acid detergent fiber, and increased concentrations of essential minerals. These compositional changes were associated with higher in vitro dry matter digestibility under increasing NaCl concentrations, suggesting a potential forage application for the species under saline conditions. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the remarkable salinity tolerance of <i>A. littoralis</i>, highlighting its ability to maintain physiological functionality under saline conditions. In addition, the species shows potential as a multifunctional resource for the recovery of salt-affected soils and as a nutritious forage in saline environments.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11738-026-03943-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methyl jasmonate confers cadmium tolerance by modifying DNA methylation, adjusting gene transcription, and relieving metabolic impairments in basil (Ocimum basilicum); an in vitro risk assessment","authors":"Rozhan Rajabi,&nbsp;Soheila Kamali,&nbsp;Zahra Oraghi Ardebili,&nbsp;Narges Oraghiardebili","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03935-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03935-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study explored the efficacy of methyl jasmonate (MJ) in reinforcing the immune system, affecting epigenetic regulation, influencing gene transcription, and conferring cadmium (Cd) tolerance. Basil seedlings were grown in the hormone-free culture medium containing MJ (0 or 10 µM) and/or Cd (0 or 100 µM). The results showed that MJ treatment significantly increased the fresh weight of leaves (31.6%), stems (17.9%), and roots (21.3%). The adverse impacts of Cd exposure on leaf (42.8%), stem (47%), and root (49.5%) biomass were mitigated by MJ application. The molecular assessment revealed a 47% DNA methylation across 49 methylation-susceptible loci. Notably, the common responses to the applied treatments were increases in unmethylated regions and decreases in fully methylated loci. The unique responses to individual Cd exposure were an increased internal cytosine-methylated loci. The MJ treatment upregulated the expression of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) genes by an average of 6.8-fold. The single Cd treatment transcriptionally downregulated the expression of both <i>CAT</i> and <i>SOD</i> genes. However, the MJ application mitigated these traits. Moreover, histochemical staining validated this hypothesis that MJ mitigates the oxidative stress imposed by Cd. The harmful effects of Cd on the photosynthetic pigments were significantly alleviated by MJ. Both MJ and/or Cd treatments also increased the concentration of proline amino acid and soluble phenols. The biochemical assays confirmed upregulation in activities of several stress-relevant enzymes, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), catalase, and peroxidase. This in vitro study highlights several significant molecular and physiological mechanisms by which MJ confers Cd tolerance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drought priming enhances subsequent drought tolerance in Karelinia caspia through coordinated leaf-root hormonal, osmotic, and antioxidant regulation","authors":"Abd Ullah,&nbsp;Akash Tariq,&nbsp;Fanjiang Zeng,&nbsp;Muhammad Ahsan Asghar,&nbsp;Jordi Sardans,&nbsp;Josep Peñuelas","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03945-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03945-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Perennial species frequently experience repeated droughts; however their physiological and biochemical responses to sequential drought exposure remain poorly understood. This study investigated whether prior drought exposure enhances subsequent drought tolerance in <i>Karelinia caspia</i> seedlings by comparing primed [double drought: 50-day drought followed by 60-daydrought] and unprimed [single 60-day drought] treatments. Compared with unprimed seedlings, primed seedlings exhibited significantly higher shoot biomass, leaf relative water content, and chlorophyll <i>a</i>, and Rubisco activity. These improvements were associated with enhanced antioxidant defense system, including increased activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase, together with higher ascorbate/dehydroascorbate and glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratios, resulting in lower superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation. Roots showed stronger antioxidant responses than leaves, with increased catalase, polyphenol oxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities under double drought. Hormonal regulation also contributed to priming-induced drought-tolerance. Primed seedlings showed increased levels of growth- promoting hormones, including indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellin, zeatin riboside, and brassinosteroids, which likely supported growth under stress conditions. Moreover, proline, and glycine betaine, accumulation increased significantly in primed seedlings, contributing to improved osmotic adjustment. Elevated strigolactones levels further suggested a role in drought adaptation and root shoot functional responses. Principal component analysis demonstrated that drought priming enhanced antioxidant defense and osmotic regulation, protecting leaf photosynthetic machinery, while strengthening root antioxidant capacity. Collectively, these coordinated responses enabled primed <i>K. caspia</i> seedlings to maintain better growth and physiological stability under repeated drought. These findings improve our understanding of drought acclimation in perennial plants under hyper-arid environments and may support future ecological restoration strategies under climate change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of enzymatic and transcriptional regulation of sugar metabolism during muscadine and bunch grape berry development","authors":"Imrul Mosaddek Ahmed,&nbsp;Tushar Dhanani,&nbsp;Meenakshi Agarwal,&nbsp;Md Amanullah,&nbsp;Mehboob B. Sheikh","doi":"10.1007/s11738-026-03941-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11738-026-03941-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sugar metabolism is a central determinant of grape berry quality, influencing sweetness, texture, and consumer preference. Comparative insights into enzymatic and transcriptional regulation of sugar accumulation among muscadine (<i>Vitis rotundifolia</i> Michx), hybrid bunch (<i>Vitis</i> spp.), and bunch (<i>Vitis vinifera</i> L) grapes remain limited. We examined: four representative genotypes two muscadines (Black Beauty, Regale), one hybrid bunch (Blanc du Bois), and one bunch grape (Barbera) across four developmental stages: pea, green, veraison, and ripe. Berry weight and diameter increased progressively, with muscadines producing the largest berries, particularly Black Beauty (~ 13.1 g; 29.6 mm). Total soluble solids rose from 4.0 to 15.8 °Brix, whereas titratable acidity declined during ripening. Sucrose accumulated exclusively in muscadines at veraison and ripening, while glucose and fructose dominated all genotypes and rose sharply at ripening, with total sugar concentration ranking Barbera &gt; Blanc du Bois &gt; Black Beauty &gt; Regale. Muscadines exhibited enhanced sucrose synthesis and retention, reflected by higher sucrose-phosphate synthase and sucrose synthase activities and concomitant invertase inhibition. In contrast, hybrid and bunch grapes favored invertase-driven sucrose cleavage and hexose accumulation. Elevated expression of invertase inhibitor genes (<i>VvInvI15</i>,<i> VvInvI2(1)</i>, and <i>VvInvI18(1)</i>) in muscadines supports post-translational suppression of invertase activity, while reduced <i>VvSWEET15</i> expression suggests lower sugar import capacity during late development. Multivariate analyses, including principal component and heatmap clustering, revealed distinct metabolic and transcriptional signatures separating muscadine from bunch grapes. These findings provide a mechanistic link between domestication and sugar metabolism and highlight key enzymatic and regulatory nodes for improving berry sweetness in grape breeding programs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6973,"journal":{"name":"Acta Physiologiae Plantarum","volume":"48 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148750672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}