Plant signaling & behavior最新文献

{"title":"Phenylalanine coordinates antioxidant responses and ion homeostasis to enhance salinity tolerance in maize.","authors":"Sidra Ghafoor, Muhammad Ahmad, Nazia Ishfaq, Kaleem Ul Din, Areeba Abdul Khaliq, Hossam S El-Beltagi, Usman Zulfiqar, Abdul Rehman, Gamal Awad El-Shaboury, Abdulrahman Alasmari, Orkhan Khudiyev, Mohd Asif Shah","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2709225","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2709225","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salinity stress poses a significant challenge to the productivity of maize, adversely affecting crop growth and development. The present study was conducted to elucidate the potential protective role of phenylalanine against salinity stress by modulating morphological traits, antioxidant defense mechanisms, and ionic balance. The study comprises two factors, including (i) salinity stress: NS = No salinity (control) SS = Salinity stress at 100 mM (sodium chloride), and phenylalanine foliar applications: NS = No spray, DWS = Distilled water spray, PAN10 = 10 mM, PAN20 = 20 mM, PAN30 = 30 mM, and PAN40 = 40 mM spray of phenylalanine. The results revealed that salinity stress caused a significant reduction in the morphological attributes (SFW by 47% and RFW by 39%) and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a by 14% and chlorophyll b by 8%), while the foliar-applied PAN40 ameliorated the stress induce toxicity and improved these morphological attributes by 49% and 43% and photosynthetic pigments by 32% and 47%, respectively as compared to control conditions. Salinity stress increased the production of stress indicators such as MDA by 10% and H₂O₂ by 19%, while foliar application of PAN40 improved the activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as POD by 38%, CAT by 36%, and AsA by 38% and reduced the production of MDA by 10% and H₂O₂ by 19% under salinity stress. In crux, the foliar-applied PNA (40 mM) showed better performance under stress by improving the morphological and biochemical attributes to cope with the toxic effects of stress. The application of PAN may serve as a scalable, sustainable strategy to impart salinity stress tolerance in maize, improving both agronomic and biochemical resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2709225"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13432897/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148633342","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":"Chitosan activates a sequential Ca ^<b>2+</b> -ROS-NO-jasmonate signaling cascade governing withanolide accumulation in <i>Withania somnifera</i>.","authors":"Shazia Perveen, Imran Haider, Aqib Mahmood, Sana Ur Rehman, Muhammad Yousaf Nadeem, Azatullah Zaheer, Rashed N Herqash, Omar M Noman, Abdullah R Alanzi","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2733235","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2733235","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chitosan promotes withanolide accumulation in <i>W. somnifera; however,</i> the temporal organization of the underlying signaling network remains unresolved. We examined whether calcium (Ca²⁺), reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and jasmone form an ordered cascade linking elicitor perception to specialized metabolism. Sixty-day-old greenhouse-grown plants were treated with 100 mg L^-1 foliar chitosan alone or after pretreatment with LaCl₃, diphenyleneiodonium, cPTIO, or diethyldithiocarbamate, with inhibitor-only controls. Cytosolic Ca²⁺ -dependent fluorescence, NADPH oxidase activity, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, NO, jasmone acid (JA), and jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) were monitored from 0 minutes to 7 d. Chitosan induced a temporally ordered response: Ca²⁺ fluorescence increased 3.01-fold within 15 minutes and returned to baseline by 3 hours; NADPH oxidase activity and hydrogen peroxide peaked at 3 hours; NO peaked at 6 hours; and JA and JA-Ile peaked at 12 hours. LaCl₃ suppressed all downstream responses, diphenyleneiodonium largely eliminated the oxidative burst, cPTIO abolished NO accumulation without affecting ROS production, and diethyldithiocarbamate selectively suppressed jasmone accumulation. These interventions support the sequence Ca²⁺→ NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS → NO → jasmone. Total targeted withanolides increased by 84% at day 7, including a 113.5% increase in withaferin A, whereas pathway inhibitors reduced this gain by 36%-49%. Enhanced antioxidant activity and improved glutathione and ascorbate redox states occurred without appreciable changes in lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, photosynthesis, or biomass, indicating regulated redox signaling rather than injury. Untargeted LC-MS/MS revealed enrichment of steroid, terpenoid-backbone, and <i>α</i>-linolenic-acid metabolism and a 61.7% increase in the withanolide-precursor pool. Early signaling integrals predicted day-7 withanolide accumulation (<i>r</i> = 0.88-0.92), while structural equation modeling identified jasmone as the strongest direct predictor. Computational analyzes prioritized withaferin A and withanolide A as candidate IκB kinase <i>β</i> ligands, although biochemical validation is required. These findings show that signal timing organizes chitosan-induced withanolide biosynthesis in <i>W. somnifera</i>, with signaling dynamics predicting metabolic output. This pharmacological asymmetry provides strong directional evidence for pathway ordering, but it does not constitute definitive molecular proof of causality because inhibitor specificity is incomplete and no genetic or rescue experiment was performed.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2733235"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13596900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148984468","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":"Herbivore-induced sorghum volatiles mediate attraction of <i>Cotesia flavipes</i>: roles of DMNT and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate in tritrophic chemical communication.","authors":"Cyprian Osinde, Clement Nyakoojo, Anthony M Nsubuga, Arthur K Tugume, Jamilu Edrisa Ssenku","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2737761","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2737761","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) influence chemical communication among plants, herbivores, and natural enemies and contribute to indirect plant defense. Previous work by our group characterized volatile emissions from sorghum following simulated herbivory and identified DMNT and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate among consistently induced compounds, but their behavioral activity toward the stem-borer parasitoid <i>Cotesia flavipes</i> was not determined. Four-week-old sorghum (<i>Sorghum bicolor</i> L. Moench) plants were mechanically wounded and treated with <i>Chilo partellus</i> larvae oral secretions. Head-space volatile were analyzed by GC-MS, and female <i>C. flavipes</i> were tested in Y-tube olfactometer assays using volatile extracts from induced and non-damaged plants and their two-component blend. At 24 h, mean emissions of DMNT, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, and linalool were numerically higher in induced plants than controls; because replicate-level inferential statistics were unavailable, these differences are interpreted descriptively. In Y-tube assays, 28/40 (70.0%) females selected DMNT over hexane (χ² = 6.40, df = 1, <i>P</i> = 0.011), 30/40 (75.0%) selected (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (χ² = 10.00, df = 1, <i>P</i> = 0.002), and 35/42 (83.3%) selected their blend (χ² = 18.67, df = 1, <i>P</i> < 0.001). Females also preferred induced-plant extracts, with 33/45 (73.3%) selecting them over non-damaged extracts (χ² = 9.80, df = 1, <i>P</i> = 0.002). These findings demonstrate laboratory behavioral activity of candidate sorghum HIPVs toward <i>C. flavipes</i>. However, they do not establish field sufficiency, concentration-dependent responses, or synergistic interactions. DMNT and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate therefore represent candidate semiochemicals warranting further validation under ecologically realistic conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2737761"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13613894/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149032414","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":"Advances in plant electrostimulation: from cellular and molecular mechanisms to agricultural applications.","authors":"Yu Dong, Ye Tian, Jingxuan Pan, Weiwen Qiu, Xinyu Zhou, Yangyang Xie, Mei Liu, Juntao Wang, Fengru Gao, Liang Jin, Dan Wei, Yanhong Wang, Qiang Xiao","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2740676","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2740676","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electrical stimulation is an emerging physical strategy for agricultural regulation that applies electric fields or currents with defined parameters to modulate plant growth, development, and rhizosphere processes. Owing to its residue-free nature, environmental compatibility, and high controllability, electrical stimulation has considerable potential to improve crop yield and quality while enhancing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, making it increasingly relevant to sustainable agriculture. This review critically synthesizes the mechanisms and applications of electrical stimulation across cellular and molecular, physiological and metabolic, whole-plant, and field scales. Particular emphasis is placed on distinguishing continuous or quasi-continuous stimulation from high-voltage pulsed treatments, which differ in membrane-level mechanisms, reversibility, and safety profiles. Three interrelated factors are identified as central to its effectiveness: regulation of membrane potential and ion transport, root-targeted modulation of plant-soil interactions, and context-dependent matching of stimulation parameters with specific biological responses. We further highlight that translating laboratory-scale benefits into reliable field applications will require intelligent delivery systems capable of stable, scalable, energy-efficient, and feedback-controlled operation under variable environmental conditions. Future research should prioritize multiscale investigation of molecular mechanisms, standardized evaluation of stimulation parameters, development of smart and synergistic regulation platforms, and validation across diverse crops, soils, and production systems. These advances will facilitate the practical deployment of electrical stimulation technologies and support their integration into sustainable and precision agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2740676"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652059/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149129299","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":"Selenium nanoparticles and wheat straw biochar synergistically alleviate combined drought-heat stress in wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) by modulating antioxidant defense, photosynthetic efficiency, and ion homeostasis.","authors":"Hina Firdous, Abbas Shoukat, Muhammad Mubashar Zafar, Huma Saleem, Rabia Faridi, Arfan Ali, Waseem Hassan, Sezai Ercisli, Rafiuddin Rafiuddin, Muhammad Fuad Anshori, Majed Alotaibi, Mahmoud F Seleiman","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2681236","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2681236","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Combined drought and heat stress (DS+HS) represents one of the most devastating multi-factorial constraints on global wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) production, imposing synergistic physiological and molecular damage that far exceeds the effects of each stress applied individually. Emerging evidence suggests that selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) and biochar independently confer abiotic stress tolerance in cereal crops; however, their combined soil application under concurrent DS+HS in wheat has not been previously investigated. The present study was conducted at the wire house facility of the Four Brothers Group (FBG), Lahore, Pakistan, using soil collected from Faisalabad, to evaluate the individual and combined effects of soil-applied Se NPs (50 mg kg^-1) and wheat straw biochar (2% w/w) on wheat cv. FBG-1800 subjected to drought (30% field capacity) and heat stress (42 °C, 6 h d^-1) in a completely randomized design with three replications. Combined DS+HS severely impaired growth, photosynthetic function, and grain yield, while markedly elevating oxidative damage markers and disrupting ionic homeostasis. Notably, combined Se NPs + biochar application produced superior synergistic amelioration relative to either amendment alone, restoring net photosynthetic rate and grain yield to approximately 89%-90% and 88% of control values, respectively, alongside significant reductions in oxidative stress indicators. Gene expression analysis confirmed marked upregulation of key stress-responsive genes (TaSOD1, TaDREB2, TaHSP70, TaNHX1) and coordinated antioxidant enzyme activation. These findings establish that soil co-application of Se NPs and biochar is an effective, agronomically feasible strategy to sustain wheat productivity under the increasingly prevalent combined DS+HS conditions in Pakistan's irrigated cropping systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2681236"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13348913/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148400256","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":"Partial root-zone drying enhances antioxidant signaling and physiological resilience in psyllium (<i>Plantago ovata</i>) under arid conditions.","authors":"Rashid Iqbal, Salman Ahmad, Khaqan Suleiman, Ghulam Murtaza, Sajid Ullah, Wiwiek Harsonowati, Dilfuza Jabborova, Sidra Ahmad, Allah Ditta, Mohamed Taha Yassin","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2700903","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2700903","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought-induced reduction in crop yield is becoming a serious threat worldwide, especially in arid to semiarid regions. The introduction of medicinal plants into cropping patterns in arid regions is a suitable alternative to conventional crops because of their high demand and market value. Keeping in view the situation, an experiment was planned under natural arid conditions to screen out the best psyllium varieties in less time for cultivation in arid regions. The experiment included three psyllium varieties (V1 = Gujrat isabgol-2, V2 = Vallabh isabgol and V3 = Jawahar isabgol-4) and three irrigation regimes (control = CK, partial rootzone drying = PRD and deficit irrigation = DI) and was carried out in a completely randomized design with eight replications. The results of our experiment revealed that although cell stress indicators (electrolyte leakage, relative cell injury, methylglyoxal, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide contents) were less and photosynthesis, water relationships, and membrane stability were greater in the control irrigation, the activities of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants were greater in the PRD and DI regimes. Among the water deficit treatments, more water potential, proline contents, ascorbic acid contents, membrane stability index, and yield were recorded in the PRD than in the DI. Among the varieties, V3 performed the best under water deficit conditions, whereas variety V2 presented the lowest values. It was concluded that under less water availability, the combination of the PRD with the variety V3 optimized physiological and yield outcomes by sustained higher relative water contents (77.10%), mesophyll conductance (0.67 mol CO₂ m^-2 s^-1 bar^-1), photosynthesis (15.10 µmol of CO₂ m^-2s^-1), and membrane stability index (78.80%). Consequently, maximized water use efficiency (0.21 g L^-1) and antioxidant activities, leading to higher yield (0.76 g plant^-1). Future research should focus on integrating PRD with other water management techniques like mulching, osmoprotectants spray to enhance its efficacy under water deficit conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2700903"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13367084/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148431854","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":"Synergistic application of melatonin and methyl jasmonate mitigates drought-induced oxidative and photosynthetic impairment in <i>Brassica napus</i>.","authors":"Hamzeh Amiri, Parvaneh Hemmati Hassan Gavyar","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2630126","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2630126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought stress severely limits rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) growth and productivity by disrupting photosynthetic efficiency and inducing oxidative damage. This study investigated the potential of melatonin (MT) and methyl jasmonate (MJ), individually and in combination, to mitigate drought-induced toxicity in rapeseed. Plants were subjected to drought stress (15% Polyethylene glycol 6000), followed by foliar application of MT (100 μM), MJ (100 μM), or their combination. Under drought stress, rapeseed exhibited significantly reduced chlorophyll content (by 33.72% for chl a and 54.59% for chl b), impaired photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm decreased by 16.08%), and elevated oxidative stress markers (H₂O₂ increased by 54.79%, MDA by 144.6%, ROS by 43.96%). The combined application of MT and MJ conferred the highest level of drought tolerance, increasing shoot fresh weight by 92.33% and root dry weight by 405% compared to the stressed control. This synergistic treatment effectively enhanced stomatal conductance by 76.25%, increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 71.45%, and boosted key antioxidant enzyme activities (e.g., POD by 216%). The enhanced efficacy of the dual treatment compared to individual applications strongly indicates coordinated signaling between MT and MJ pathways in stress response modulation. These results demonstrate that simultaneous application of these plant growth regulators offers an effective physiological strategy to improve rapeseed performance under water deficit conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2630126"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12915857/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146168647","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":"Leaf electrophysiological readouts reveal bicarbonate-associated shifts in early water-deficit response modes in <i>Broussonetia papyrifera</i> and <i>Morus alba</i>.","authors":"Lei Fang, Yanyou Wu, Cheng Zhang, Shihao Zhang","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2657093","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2657093","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Karst carbonate regions are characterized by shallow soils and high bicarbonate availability, and seedlings during establishment may experience episodic water deficit. However, it remains unclear whether bicarbonate co-occurrence alters early response modes to short-term water deficit in a species-dependent manner. Here, we compared <i>Broussonetia papyrifera</i> and <i>Morus alba</i> under three treatments for 10 d: control (CK), polyethylene glycol-induced water deficit (WD), and WD with bicarbonate addition (WD + Bic). By integrating photosynthetic traits with non-destructive leaf electrophysiological signals, we evaluated early responses at both leaf and cellular scales. Under WD + Bic, the net photosynthetic rate, electrophysiologically derived nutrient-use-efficiency, and metabolic-energy indices of <i>B. papyrifera</i> were closer to the CK than those under WD. In contrast, <i>M. alba</i> deviated less from CK under WD alone, yet net photosynthetic rate and energy-related indices remained below CK under WD + Bic, accompanied by a stepwise decline in intrinsic water conductivity (CK > WD > WD + Bic). Overall, WD + Bic elicited species-specific shifts in early response trajectories relative to WD alone, rather than a uniform intensification of stress responses. These electrophysiological readouts helped distinguish distinct response modes, supporting electrophysiological phenotyping as a non-destructive candidate approach for early screening and species-habitat matching under carbonate-rich conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2657093"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13078245/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147648008","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":"Microbiome-metabolite signaling drives aluminum stress alleviation in soybean under intercropping and selenium nanoparticle application.","authors":"Ghulam Murtaza, Najmaldin Ezaldin Hassan, Zeeshan Ahmed, Wael Elmenofy, Mohamed Mohamed El-Mogy, Sherif El-Ganainy, Hosny H Kesba, Lamy Mamdoh Mohamed Hamed, Rashid Iqbal, Sajid Ullah","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2657733","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2657733","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aluminum (Al) toxicity and soil-borne pathogens severely constrain legume productivity in acidic soils, yet the signaling mechanisms underlying intercropping-mediated stress alleviation remain insufficiently understood. Here, we investigated whether soybean-sorghum intercropping under Al stress (SSAl), alone or combined with selenium nanoparticles (SSAl + Se), modulates rhizosphere signaling networks and plant defense responses. Integrated 16S rRNA microbiome sequencing and rhizosphere metabolomics were employed to decipher microbe‒metabolite interactions associated with Al detoxification and disease suppression. Compared with monoculture soybean under Al stress (MSAl), SSAl and SSAl + Se significantly reduced Al accumulation (16.9% and 57.4%, respectively) and Fusarium wilt incidence (10.9% and 34.4%, respectively), accompanied by enhanced root growth. These treatments attenuated oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreased O₂^-, H₂O₂, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, while stimulating antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, and APX), indicating reinforcement of redox homeostasis. In the rhizosphere, NH₄⁺-N and available K levels increased, with NH₄⁺-N positively correlated with urease activity and negatively correlated with Al accumulation, suggesting nitrogen-mediated modulation of Al dynamics. Microbiome analysis revealed enrichment of beneficial taxa, including <i>Streptomyces</i>, <i>Intrasporangium</i>, and <i>Sphingomonas</i>, which are positively associated with antimicrobial and stress-related metabolites such as 15-<b><i>methyl palmitate</i></b>, lactucin, and sordarin. These coordinated shifts in the microbial community structure and metabolite profiles indicate that the activation of rhizosphere chemical signaling restricts pathogen proliferation and enhances Al detoxification. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that selenium nanoparticles potentiate intercropping-induced rhizosphere reprogramming, linking redox regulation, nitrogen transformation, and microbiome-metabolite signaling to improve aluminum stress tolerance and disease resistance in soybean. This study provides mechanistic insight into how nano-enabled agronomic strategies influence plant signaling networks under edaphic stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2657733"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13081744/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147694501","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":"Dual biotic stressors shape volatile organic compound emission patterns in pome fruit trees.","authors":"Ali Karimi, Jannicke Gallinger, Jürgen Gross","doi":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2700902","DOIUrl":"10.1080/15592324.2026.2700902","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as part of their defense mechanisms when attacked by phytopathogens and herbivores. These specific volatile emissions can help plants avoid damage. In this study, we investigated the effects of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), <i>Halyomorpha halys</i>, and the phytopathogens \"<i>Candidatus</i> phytoplasma mali\", causing apple proliferation (AP) or \"<i>Ca</i>. P. pyri\", causing pear decline (PD) on the volatile emissions from apple (<i>Malus domestica</i>) or pear (<i>Pyrus communis</i>) trees. We analyzed VOCs emitted by uninfected and infected trees exposed to male and female BMSB. Using random forest analysis, the profiles of uninfected trees and those singly infected with PD- or AP-phytoplasma were clearly distinguishable from those infested with BMSB and double-infections with both phytoplasma and BMSB. BMSB-infested apple and pear trees emitted higher levels of linalool and 4,8-dimethyl-1(<i>E</i>)-3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) compared to uninfested trees. In addition, dual infections with phytoplasma and BMSB showed an induction in the content of these VOCs. Phytoplasma-infected apple trees significantly increased emissions of methyl salicylate (MeSA), whereas MeSA content was significantly increased in pear trees exposed to BMSB and also dual infections with phytoplasma and BMSB. In apple trees, <i>α</i>-farnesene was emitted at a higher amount only from phytoplasma-infected trees exposed to BMSB males, whereas in pear trees this VOC was significantly induced in response to female BMSB and dual infections with phytoplasma and female BMSB. Furthermore, we found three acids in healthy pear trees, <i>n</i>-hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, and oleic acid, which were not detected in phytoplasma-infected or BMSB-infested trees. It was demonstrated that this information can help to identify specific chemical signatures and specific VOCs, which may be used as biomarkers for detecting and monitoring these pests.</p>","PeriodicalId":94172,"journal":{"name":"Plant signaling & behavior","volume":"21 1","pages":"2700902"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13353780/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148427863","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}