BMC Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Comparative and phylogenomic analyses of 19 Petrocodon (Gesneriaceae) species from the Guizhou karst plateau, China, featuring 13 newly assembled chloroplast genomes.","authors":"Ziqi Niu, Senlin Yang, Jiangmiao Gu, Meijun Li, Xinxiang Bai, Fang Wen","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09891-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09891-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The \"terrestrial island\" effect of the karst landscape in southwest China drives plant diversification, with Petrocodon (Gesneriaceae) being a highly specialized representative. Frequent taxonomic revisions and severe morphological convergent evolution obscure its intrageneric phylogeny. Given the low resolution of traditional markers for radiated taxa and the scarcity of molecular data from the Guizhou karst plateau, we analyzed 19 Petrocodon complete chloroplast genomes (plastomes) to characterize genomic structures, resolve interspecific relationships, and identify highly variable candidate markers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We newly assembled 13 plastomes and comparatively analyzed them with six re-annotated public sequences. Ranging from 152,378 to 153,621 bp in length, all plastomes exhibited a typical quadripartite structure containing 131-132 functional genes. They displayed a significant A/T bias, with preferred codons (relative synonymous codon usage, RSCU > 1) strongly terminating in A/U. Sliding window analysis identified 12 highly variable regions as mutational hotspots based on nucleotide diversity (Pi), with ycf1 and ndhF-rpl32 exhibiting the highest nucleotide diversity as the most informative candidate markers. Selection pressure analysis revealed that, despite an overall background of strong purifying selection, the ndhK and atpF genes exhibited elevated evolutionary rates, indicating relaxed purifying selection. Phylogenomic analysis strongly supported the monophyly of Petrocodon, delineating three geographically associated clades (Clades I-III) within our current sampling. Notably, Clade I exhibited distinct geographical endemism. Within Clade III, topological conflicts, extremely short branch lengths, and the non-monophyly of varieties among closely related species suggested a complex history of extremely short internal branches consistent with rapid diversification.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study reveals highly conserved plastome structures among the sampled Petrocodon species. While primarily reflecting ancestral neutral mutational pressures, the pronounced A/T bias may incidentally confer metabolic advantages in nitrogen-poor habitats. Concurrently, the accelerated evolution of ndhK and atpF suggests a potential trend of photoprotective optimization against environmental extremes. Our backbone phylogeny aligns with clade distributions, which is consistent with the hypothesis that karst habitat isolation contributes to speciation among the sampled taxa. Extensive morphological homoplasy exposes traditional taxonomic limitations. Consequently, our whole-plastome data robustly support the monophyly and phylogeny of sampled Petrocodon, including former genera (Calcareoboea, Tengia). These resources and candidate markers aid in elucidating radiation mechanisms and conserving karst biodiversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13653394/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149164356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide characterization of the JrCHI family and functional validation of JrCHI6 and JrCHI24 conferring resistance to Alternaria tenuissima in walnut.","authors":"Tianlei Li, Wei Chen, Bin Wang, Xia Wu, Chongqing Zhang, Mengyang Zhang, Yuyan Sun, Yulian Wang, Jia Xue, Xinyi Wang, Jing He, Bin Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09841-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09841-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alternaria tenuissima leaf spot disease severely hinders sustainable walnut production in Xinjiang. To dissect the molecular basis of walnut disease resistance and mine resistance-associated genes, we investigated the physiological and transcriptomic responses of a resistant wild walnut and a susceptible cultivar, 'Xinxin No.2'. We found that the wild walnut displayed slower lesion spread and markedly higher defense enzyme activity; its chitinase activity stayed 30%-45% above that of 'Xinxin No.2' throughout pathogen infection. Transcriptomic data revealed significant enrichment of the amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism pathway, proving chitin hydrolysis is vital for host defense. Genome-wide screening obtained 24 JrCHI genes classified into GH18 and GH19 families, whose promoters carry numerous jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) response elements. JrCHI6 and JrCHI24 were screened as key resistance genes with elevated expression post-infection. Exogenous hormone treatments verified methyl jasmonate alone induced the expression of the two genes, while SA barely altered their transcript abundance. As JA signaling governs plant defense against necrotrophic pathogens, JrCHI6 and JrCHI24 are inferred to drive JA-mediated immunity to A. tenuissima. Transient overexpression of JrCHI6 and JrCHI24 improved leaf spot resistance in 'Xinxin No.2' and increased expression of JA/ET defense markers JrPR3 and JrPR4; in contrast, silencing these genes greatly compromised wild walnut resistance. This work systematically identified the walnut JrCHI gene family and verified JrCHI6 and JrCHI24 as core functional genes mediating chitinase-dependent resistance against A. tenuissima.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13591790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nonadditive gene expression and reduced homoeolog expression bias in an intraspecific hexaploid wheat hybrid.","authors":"Asena Ardaman, Cristiane Forgiarini, Ramesh Arunkumar","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09872-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09872-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intraspecific hybridization in allopolyploid plants can generate additive and nonadditive changes in gene expression through interactions between divergent parental genomes. However, how it simultaneously affects gene expression and the relative expression of homoeologs in higher-order polyploids is less well understood. To study this, we sequenced seedling leaf transcriptomes and profiled gene body methylation in two hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and their F₁ hybrids.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Although only 4.3% of genes differed in expression between the parents, 22.3% deviated from mid-parent expression in the hybrids, with many showing transgressive expression. 32.1% of triads contained at least one homoeolog that deviated from mid-parent expression, and all three homoeologs deviated in 11% of triads, substantially more than expected by chance. Triads in which all three homoeologs were overexpressed also showed reduced differences in expression among homoeologs. Greater parental divergence in relative homoeolog expression was associated with nonadditive expression. Genes lacking gene body methylation were also more likely to show dominant or transgressive expression, whereas gene body methylation was associated with more balanced homoeolog expression and additive or conserved expression.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Intraspecific hybridization in hexaploid wheat, even without a change in ploidy, was associated with widespread nonadditive gene expression and altered relative homoeolog expression within triads. These responses were associated with parental differences in homoeolog expression and the absence of gene body methylation. Although our findings are limited to seedling leaves from a single intraspecific cross, they provide a basis for testing the generality of these patterns across tissues, developmental stages, and genetic backgrounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13536652/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148879115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancement of rosmarinic acid biosynthesis in Ocimum basilicum L. via melatonin-loaded nanoparticles: insights into enzymatic activity and gene expression.","authors":"Rabab Abdulhai Gad, Tahani Abbas Hathout, Samia Moheb El Khallal, Ashraf Hussein Fahmy, Gihan Mohamed Hussein, Marwa Talat Elshamy","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08630-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-08630-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study aimed to synthesize melatonin laoded chitosan nanoparticles (MEL NPs) and assess its effects on the production of bioactive metabolites, antioxidant activity and gene expression in O. basilicum culture.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our results showed that the total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) content of basil leaves treated with melatonin (MEL) and MEL NPs at 5, 10, and 20 μm was significantly increased, with the rosmarinic acid content also being enhanced. Treatment with 10 µM MEL NPs induced the most pronounced enhancement in total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), reaching 3.48 and 3.79- fold, respectively, compared with the control. meanwhile, the same treatment resulted in the maximum accumulation of rosmarinic acid (RA), 19.73 mg g⁻¹ FW. Furthermore, the application of MEL NPs or melatonin markedly stimulated the phenylprpanoid pathway in basil leaves, as evidenced by the enhanced activities of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). This enzymatic stimulation was accompanied by significant transcriptional activation of key pathway genes. Notably, basil leaves treated with 10 µM MEL NPs showed pronounced upregulation of 4-coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL) and Hydroxyphenylpyruvate reductase (HPPR) transcript with expression levels increasing by 3.45- and 5.47-fold, respectively, compared with the untreated control.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study concluded that nano encapsulated melatonin at 10 µM was the most effective elicitor for stimulating rosmarinic acid biosynthesis by coordinating transcriptional activation of key biosynthetic genes and enhancing tha activities of related enzymes in basil tissue culture. This is due to its stability and targeted delivery compared to conventional melatonin in large-scale Ocimum basilicum L. plant cultivation as a resource for food and pharmaceutical industries.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13573358/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148963057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating Azotobacter inoculation with nano-NPK foliar application: a sustainable strategy for enhancing growth, physiology, and sugar yield in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.).","authors":"Heba S El-Desouky, Ghadah H Al Hawas, Arwa Abdulkreem Al-Huqail, Norah A Al-Enezi, Reda M Y Zewail, Ghadah Khaled Yousuf, Sherin H A Al-Maracy, Amira E El-Sherief, Ibrahim S H El-Gamal, Nadia K El-Safy, Ali A Badawy","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09776-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09776-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sugar beet is a key crop for the sugar industry, increasingly reliant on eco-friendly inputs to meet rising global demand. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance plant growth via root associations, while nanotechnology offers solutions to limitations of traditional farming. However, while the individual benefits of PGPR and nano-fertilizers are well-documented, their combined application-specifically the integration of Azotobacter inoculation with foliar nano-NPK formulations-remains unexplored in sugar beet cultivation. Furthermore, no studies have investigated whether a multi-strain Azotobacter consortium (A. chroococcum + A. vinelandii) combined with complete nano-NPK can synergistically enhance sugar beet productivity beyond the effects of either treatment alone. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of integrating Azotobacter inoculation with foliar nano-NPK application on growth, physiological performance, biochemical traits, and sugar yield in sugar beet, and to determine whether this combined approach outperforms individual or partial applications. To address this knowledge gap, a two-year field study using a split-plot design was conducted, with Azotobacter inoculation assigned to main plots and five nano-NPK formulations to subplots. Agronomic, physiological, and biochemical traits were evaluated at harvest. The combination of Azotobacter and complete nano-NPK (N + P+K) achieved superior results across all measured parameters. Notably, total chlorophyll content increased by approximately 122.8%, carotenoids by 82.6%, leaf area index by 95%, and sugar yield showed the most dramatic improvement, increasing by 94% (from 3.03 to 5.87 t ha⁻¹). Root yield also increased substantially by 65% (from 21.21 to 35.02 t ha⁻¹), accompanied by enhanced nutrient concentrations in leaves. This study is the first to demonstrate strong synergy between a dual-strain Azotobacter consortium and complete nano-NPK application, significantly improving nutrient use efficiency, physiological performance, and yield. The strategy provides an effective, sustainable approach with the potential to reduce dependence on conventional fertilizers in sugar beet production.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13539709/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148886133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation and association analysis of quality traits in Chinese winter wheat landraces on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.","authors":"Xingxin Han, Yuqing Zhang, Wanwei Hou, Miaomiao Huang","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09821-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09821-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Wheat grain quality is a complex traits governed by both genetic and environmental factors. Chinese winter wheat landraces on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau harbor valuable genetic diversity, yet the loci underlying their grain quality remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to identify stable SNP loci, favorable haplotypes, and candidate genes for grain quality traits.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eight quality traits-moisture content (MC), flour water absorption (WA), grain protein content (GPC), wet gluten content (WGC), dough stability time (ST), dough development time (FT), grain hardness (HD), and test weight (TW)-were assessed in 279 winter wheat landraces across four environments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using a 120 K SNP array.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All eight traits showed wide phenotypic variation. In total, 62 stable SNP loci were detected across environments (P < 0.001), explaining 3.86%-15.64% of the phenotypic variance; 19 of these showed pleiotropic effects. A pleiotropic locus on chromosome 1B (1B:610760001) was significantly associated with WA, GPC, ST and FT in all four environments. Haplotype analysis of a 488 kb linkage disequilibrium (LD) block identified four haplotypes (Hap1-Hap4). Hap2 and Hap3 had significantly higher WA than Hap1, and Hap2 had significantly higher GPC and longer ST than Hap1 and Hap4 (P < 0.05); FT was significantly longer in Hap2 than in Hap1 and Hap4. Ten candidate genes were predicted, annotated with functions involving signal transduction, metabolic regulation, cell development and stress response.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study identified 62 stable SNP loci, 19 pleiotropic loci, and two favorable haplotypes (Hap2 and Hap3) relevant to wheat quality improvement. These findings highlight the breeding potential of Chinese winter wheat landraces on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and provide targets for marker-assisted selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13591825/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and preliminary functional characterization of MsPAL2, a key salt-tolerance gene during seed germination in Medicago sativa.","authors":"Donghan Cao, Xinran Cheng, Peisheng Mao, Liru Dou","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09836-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09836-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is an important legume forage crop. Salt stress severely impairs seed germination, compromising field establishment and subsequent seedling growth. However, the key genes underlying alfalfa seed responses to salt stress during germination remain largely unidentified, hindering targeted genetic improvement of salt tolerance within the genus Medicago.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, transcriptomic sequencing was performed on germinated and ungerminated seeds of alfalfa treated with 150 mmol/L NaCl, using the 'Zhongmu No. 4' reference genome. Through integrated KEGG pathway enrichment, gene expression fold-change analysis, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), we identified the gene MsPAL2 (Msa1079410), which encodes the key rate-limiting enzyme in phenylpropanoid metabolism, as a critical salt-tolerance gene. Functional characterization via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) revealed that silencing MsPAL2 did not affect seed germination under normal conditions but significantly reduced the germination rate under salt stress. These findings suggest that MsPAL2 acts as a positive regulator of alfalfa seed germination under salt stress. Promoter analysis and AlphaFold3 prediction collectively revealed MYB-binding cis-elements and identified MYB transcription factors as candidate upstream regulators of MsPAL2, laying the groundwork for elucidating its regulatory network.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Phenylpropanoid metabolism constitutes a key mechanism underlying salt tolerance in alfalfa. Through transcriptome analysis, we identified MsPAL2, a phenylpropanoid pathway gene, as a critical regulator of alfalfa seed germination under salt stress, providing valuable genetic resources for molecular breeding of salt-tolerant alfalfa.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523354/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148849746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Salt eustress modulates physiological responses and enhances yield, nutritional quality, and antioxidant capacity in sunflower microgreens.","authors":"Bardees Mickky, Reham Shams Eldeen, Mustafa Elnajar","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09786-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09786-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Microgreens have gained attention as nutritious superfoods and as model systems for studying plant stress responses. Salt stress can elicit hormetic effects by enhancing plant growth and quality at low concentrations (eustress) while inhibiting performance at higher levels (distress).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) microgreens were hydroponically cultivated in a completely randomized design with three vessel replicates per treatment. Seedlings were grown for ten days using root-dipping technique in five NaCl concentrations (0-100 mM) under controlled natural environmental conditions. Growth parameters, physiological status, stress biomarkers, proximate composition, mineral content, fatty acid profile, and antioxidant capacity were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Low stress induced by 25 mM NaCl increased shoot fresh yield (58.7%), shoot dry yield (55.4%), shoot length (48.3%), root length (25.7%), leaf area (81.4%), and specific leaf area (19.7%). Mild stress by 50 mM NaCl also improved growth, but its stimulatory effects were less pronounced. Conversely, moderate and severe stress levels (75 and 100 mM) significantly reduced these growth parameters. These responses were associated with modified physiological status indicated by photosynthesis and transpiration rates, chlorophyll content, relative water content, and water use efficiency. At 25 mM NaCl, proline content increased (5.7%), while catalase activity, lipid peroxidation, and H₂O₂ content did not change significantly. Higher salt levels induced marked oxidative stress through elevated lipid peroxidation and H₂O₂ accumulation. Nutritionally, 25 mM NaCl increased total carbohydrates (27.2%), total proteins (27.6%), Ca (11.9%), Mg (13.3%), Mn (14.3%), Zn (12.9%), and linoleic acid (5.0%). However, this low stress decreased ash content (-27.3%), total fats (-69.8%), K (-12.0%), Fe (-15.2%), palmitic acid (-9.7%), stearic acid (-12.2%), and oleic acid (-4.8%). Antioxidant profiling showed that 25 mM NaCl maximized total antioxidant activity (38.1%), DPPH-scavenging activity (6.0%), total phenols (8.8%), ascorbic acid (37.5%), and carotenoids (11.5%), while moderate and severe stress levels had opposite effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Low-dose salt eustress (25 mM NaCl) can be applied as a simple and cost-effective elicitor to improve growth, nutritional value, and antioxidant capacity of sunflower microgreens.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523218/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148839141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles mitigate cadmium and lead toxicity in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by enhancing antioxidant defense and nutrient homeostasis.","authors":"Mahmoud R Sofy, Ahmed R Sofy, Hossam M Fouda, Heba I Mohamed, Hala G El-Araby, Hebat-Allah Ali Hussein, Woroud S Alshammari, Fatma M A Elkady, Mona S Agha","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09269-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12870-026-09269-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Heavy metal pollution, particularly from cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), poses a significant risk to agricultural productivity and food quality by affecting plant growth, nutritional composition, and redox balance. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe₂O₄ NPs) in reducing the harmful effects of Pb and Cd on tomato plants. After exposure to 100 mg L⁻¹ of either Cd or Pb, tomato seedlings were treated with 40 and 80 mg L⁻¹ of CoFe₂O₄ NPs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Heavy metal stress adversely affected various parameters, including growth, photosynthetic efficiency, water content, and nutrient levels (N, P, K). However, the application of CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, especially at 40 mg L⁻¹, significantly alleviated these negative impacts. Treated plants showed improved growth, enhanced nutrient uptake, increased chlorophyll content, and better water status compared to untreated ones. Additionally, CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles increased proline, phenolics, and key enzymes like glutathione reductase (GR) and catalase (CAT). They also reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, and cadmium/lead (Cd/Pb) concentrations in plant tissues. Multivariate analyses, such as PCA, highlighted the protective effects of these nanoparticles against heavy metal stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles could successfully reduce the toxic effects of both cadmium and lead in tomato plants through their positive influence on growth, photosynthesis efficiency, nutrient absorption, and the antioxidative system of plants. Based on the results, it can be concluded that CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles can serve as an environmentally friendly tool of nanotechnology to improve crops' efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520272/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148825426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning techniques for accessing the chlorophyll content and fluorescence in maize based on UAV multispectral sensor.","authors":"Pradosh Kumar Parida, Somasundaram Eagan, Naba Kishor Parida, Santosh Ganapati Patil, Nitish Kumar Jena, Manjushree Singh, Krishnan Ramanujam, Radhamani Sengodan, Sivakumar Uthandi, Shri Rangasami Silambiah Ramasamy","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-09661-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09661-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Canopy chlorophyll content (CCC) and chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) are key indicators of crop physiological status and productivity. Advances in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based multispectral sensing, integrated with machine learning (ML), have opened new possibilities for precise and non-destructive monitoring of these traits. This study evaluated the performance of thirty vegetation indices (VIs) and six ML algorithms for estimating CCC and ChlF in maize during kharif season and rabi season at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. Regression analyses revealed that red-edge indices, such as RECI, NDRE, MTCI, and LCI, consistently outperformed greenness indices. Among them, RECI and NDRE achieved the highest R² values (0.893 for CCC and 0.829 for ChlF) and the lowest RMSE values (0.058 for CCC and 0.021 for ChlF) during kharif season. In contrast, during rabi season, MTCI for CCC and LCI for ChlF showed the best performance, with R² values of 0.783 and 0.883, and RMSE values of 0.081 and 0.018, respectively. Among machine learning algorithms, Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) achieved the highest predictive accuracy for CCC (R² = 0.891, RMSE = 0.063, MAE = 0.045) and ChlF (R² = 0.889, RMSE = 0.017, MAE = 0.013) during kharif season. However, Random Forest (RF) outperformed during rabi season, achieving the highest accuracy for CCC (R² = 0.623, RMSE = 0.083, MAE = 0.066) and ChlF (R² = 0.867, RMSE = 0.015, MAE = 0.011), respectively. In contrast, K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN) consistently underperformed in predicting both CCC and ChlF across kharif season and rabi season. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of integrating UAV-based multispectral vegetation indices (VIs) with ML algorithms for accurate and scalable estimation of maize CCC and ChlF under varying seasonal conditions, highlighting their applicability for precision crop monitoring and sustainable agricultural management. However, further validation across different crop seasons and multiple locations remain limited.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13628831/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149104225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}