J. Plant Physiol. [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Salt tolerance in the rice varieties Minghui63 and Nipponbare: Root growth reduction correlates with local ROS accumulation and net H flux patterns at the root apex.
Liu F, Huang X, Li X … +2 more , Yu M, Wegner LH
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jul · PMID 42119539 · Publisher ↗
Rice (Oryza sativa L) cultivation is severely compromised by its high susceptibility to salt stress. Performance of two rice varieties with a high significance for agriculture in China, Minghui63 (MH63) and Nipponbare (N...
Rice (Oryza sativa L) cultivation is severely compromised by its high susceptibility to salt stress. Performance of two rice varieties with a high significance for agriculture in China, Minghui63 (MH63) and Nipponbare (Nip) was studied using hydroponic culture, adding 0, 50, 100 or 150 mM NaCl. Physiological parameters were assessed such as growth, concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ROS detoxification, stomatal densities, proline and soluble sugar contents, root and shoot Na and K contents, as well as steady-state net H and K fluxes at the root tip, elongation zone and early mature zone using the Microelectrode Ion Flux Estimation (MIFE) technique. Root growth reduction under salt stress was more severe in Nip than in MH63, correlating with higher ROS accumulation in the elongation zone of the former variety, and characteristic differences in apical H fluxes. After 7d of exposure to 150 mM NaCl, H efflux was reduced at the root tip and elongation zone in MH63 but even turned to influx (partly or completely) in Nip, indicating a more severe reduction of plasma membrane proton pump activity in the latter cultivar. Generally, more efficient ROS detoxification and lower Na/K ratios indicated MH63 being potentially more salt tolerant than Nip.
Genome-wide association mapping reveals pleiotropic loci coupling antioxidant defense with redox homeostasis in barley under combined drought and salinity.
Safhi FA, Alqudah AM, Thabet SG
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jul · PMID 42107448 · Publisher ↗
Combined drought × salinity poses a major constraint to barley productivity because osmotic limitation coincides with ionic toxicity and oxidative injury. Here, we quantified multi-trait performance across three successi...
Combined drought × salinity poses a major constraint to barley productivity because osmotic limitation coincides with ionic toxicity and oxidative injury. Here, we quantified multi-trait performance across three successive generations (G1-G3) under control and combined drought × salinity and tested whether repeated ancestral exposure was associated with progressive buffering of stress impacts. Across generations, stress caused coherent penalties in yield formation and physiology, but these penalties weakened by G3: grain yield declined by 34.7% (G1), 24.2% (G2), and 17.7% (G3), with parallel reductions in harvest index, thousand kernel weight, spikes per plant, and grains per spike. Water relations and canopy stress signatures showed progressive moderation (RWC and stomatal conductance decreased less, while canopy temperature increases were dampened), and stress-induced heading delay decreased from 6.48% (G1) to 2.49% (G3). The salinity component remained strong but moderated across generations, with reduced Na accumulation, improved K retention, and partial recovery of K/Na, accompanied by progressively lower amplification of injury markers (electrolyte leakage, MDA, and HO) and reduced reliance on extreme proline accumulation; G3 increasingly preserved total soluble sugars and maximum root depth. Stress resilience indices (SR = stress/control) confirmed coordinated, module-wide improvement from G1 to G3, consistent with memory-linked buffering. Multi-trait GWAS of SR traits identified reproducible genomic hotspots, with the strongest effects for Na homeostasis and redox/membrane-stability traits, and haplotype contrasts validated significant allelic effects at lead loci. Candidate-gene mining and time-course expression profiling further supported regulatory, transport, and redox-protection mechanisms differentiating tolerant and susceptible genotypes. Collectively, these results indicate progressive stress memory stabilization of yield, water status, ion balance, and redox integrity under combined drought × salinity and prioritize genomic regions for validation and breeding deployment.
Effects of Trichoderma and salicylic acid/methyl jasmonate on the growth, development, and lipid metabolism of Codonopsis pilosula.
Gao P, Zhang H, Zhu N … +9 more , Ma Y, Luo W, Yang Z, Sun W, Wang Y, Wang X, Tang X, Liu L, Li L
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jul · PMID 42096967 · Publisher ↗
Endophytic fungi and phytohormone signaling can jointly influence growth-defense trade-offs in medicinal plants by reprogramming metabolism in a stage-dependent manner. To elucidate how the endophytic fungus Trichoderma...
Endophytic fungi and phytohormone signaling can jointly influence growth-defense trade-offs in medicinal plants by reprogramming metabolism in a stage-dependent manner. To elucidate how the endophytic fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum FG and exogenous salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) regulate Codonopsis pilosula (C. pilosula), seedlings were assigned to five treatments: control (CK), FG, SA, MJ, and SA + MJ (SM). Assessments were conducted at multiple growth stages using morphological measurements, photosynthetic and physiological assays, antioxidant profiling, and non-targeted metabolomics. All treatments promoted seedling growth, with SM producing the most pronounced improvements in biomass-related traits, including root growth and overall biomass accumulation. FG, SA, and MJ modified photosynthetic traits and redox status, as evidenced by changes in photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation levels, and endogenous signaling molecules (SA, JA, NO), indicating coordinated regulation of primary physiology and stress-related responses. UHPLC/Q-TOF-based metabolomic profiling revealed temporally distinct patterns: FG induced limited early changes but triggered marked metabolic reprogramming at 50 days, whereas SA, MJ, and SM elicited stronger metabolite shifts at 15 days. Differential metabolites were predominantly lipids and lipid-like molecules, with steroid and steroid-derived pathways emerging as key responsive hubs; notably, FG at the late stage was associated with enrichment of intermediates linked to brassinosteroid biosynthesis. Overall, SA-MJ interactions were trait-dependent, showing clearer synergy in biomass-related performance, while FG primarily contributed to late-stage metabolic adjustments. These findings provide a mechanistic basis for optimizing high-quality cultivation and sustainable utilization of C. pilosula.
Regulation of non-photochemical quenching by PsbS and zeaxanthin under variable light and drought.
Okoń K, Zubik-Duda M, Gruszecki WI … +1 more , Nosalewicz A
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jul · PMID 42092229 · Publisher ↗
Plants are often exposed to rapidly changing irradiance and intermittent periods of reduced water availability. Efficient use of light for photosynthesis depends on the plant's ability to respond flexibly to dynamic envi...
Plants are often exposed to rapidly changing irradiance and intermittent periods of reduced water availability. Efficient use of light for photosynthesis depends on the plant's ability to respond flexibly to dynamic environmental constraints. Our aim was to assess the impact of light quantity and dynamics on the induction of photoprotective mechanisms in wild-type A. thaliana and mutants impaired in NPQ mechanisms. Wild-type (wt) plants and mutants impaired in key NPQ components, npq1 and npq4, were grown under optimal watering (OW) or drought stress (DS) and exposed to constant low (LL), medium (ML), and high light (HL), or to variable light (VL). The results showed that both PsbS and zeaxanthin (Zx) were essential for full induction of energy-dependent quenching (qE) under HL and VL. Notably, qE in wt under ML, which had the same average photon flux density as VL, was lower than qE under VL, indicating that temporal light dynamics, and not only average irradiance, critically affected qE induction. Furthermore, both PsbS and Zx were important for limiting the accumulation of sustained, slowly relaxing quenching under DS and HL. In turn, alternating HL and LL phases during VL restricted the build-up of this residual quenching to levels closer to those observed under ML. Under combined VL and DS, wt plants accumulated Zx to levels comparable to those observed under constant HL. This response was markedly reduced in the npq4 mutant lacking PsbS. In contrast, under constant light conditions, Zx accumulation in npq4 was similar to that in wt, indicating that the contribution of PsbS to Zx accumulation becomes particularly important under dynamic light combined with DS. These findings demonstrate that effective photoprotection and acclimation to combined drought and variable light depend on the coordinated action of PsbS and Zx.
VcNADP-ME4 positively regulates malic acid degradation in blueberry fruit as modulated by two bZIPs.
Dai Y, Min Y, Leng Y … +7 more , Zhou M, Chong H, Peng L, Zheng X, Wang L, Wen G, Wen X
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jul · PMID 42068770 · Publisher ↗
Fruit flavor in blueberry is highly determined by organic acid constitute and content. Previously, VcNADP-ME4 was preliminarily demonstrated to negatively involve in malic acid accumulation in rabbiteye blueberry fruits....
Fruit flavor in blueberry is highly determined by organic acid constitute and content. Previously, VcNADP-ME4 was preliminarily demonstrated to negatively involve in malic acid accumulation in rabbiteye blueberry fruits. To better understand the acid metabolism in this tree fruit, currently, the roles of VcNADP-ME4 in malic acid regulation was further unraveled. During fruit development of 'Tifblue', malic acid content exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease, reaching its lowest level at the late developmental stage. In contrast, the expression of VcNADP-ME4 enhanced progressively and peaked at the ripening stage, indicating a negative correlation between VcNADP-ME4 expression and malic acid accumulation. Transient silencing of VcNADP-ME4 in the fruit significantly elevated malic acid levels, with stronger silencing effects leading to higher malic acid accumulation, whereas heterologous overexpression of this gene in tomato attenuated malic acid content. Subcellular localization analysis demonstrated that VcNADP-ME4 localized to the cell membrane. Further, it was revealed that the transcription factor VcbZIP44-like may bind to and activates the VcNADP-ME4 promoter, while VcGBF1 acts as a repressors to this gene. In conclusion, VcNADP-ME4 is a key gene regulating malic acid degradation in blueberry fruit, which offers new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the organic acid metabolism of blueberry.
The co-repressor protein HOS15 negatively regulates ethylene signaling via degradation of EIN3 during arabidopsis apical hook formation.
Khan HA, Ahn G, Aulia AC … +13 more , Sari SA, Shin GI, Jeong SY, Huh JS, Ji MG, Choi B, Kim Y, Park J, Yoon GM, Kim MG, Kim WY, Yun DJ, Cha JY
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42054788 · Publisher ↗
Ethylene signaling is essential for apical hook formation during early seedling development in darkness, protecting cotyledons and shoot apical meristem as seedlings emerge through soil. ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE 3 (EIN3), a...
Ethylene signaling is essential for apical hook formation during early seedling development in darkness, protecting cotyledons and shoot apical meristem as seedlings emerge through soil. ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE 3 (EIN3), a central transcription factor in this pathway, activates ethylene-responsive genes such as HOOKLESS1 (HLS1) to promote hook formation. EIN3 is rapidly stabilized in response to ethylene but is otherwise targeted for degradation by the F-box proteins EIN3-BINDING F BOX PROTEIN 1 (EBF1) and EBF2. Here, we demonstrate that HIGH EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENE 15 (HOS15), a substrate receptor for both SCF/CUL1 and CUL4-DDB1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, functions as a negative regulator of EIN3 protein stability. Loss-of-function mutation of HOS15 (hos15-2) resulted in enhanced apical hook curvature upon treatment with the ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). In these mutants, ethylene-induced HLS1 transcript levels were significantly higher than those in wild-type plants, indicating that HOS15 suppresses ethylene-mediated hook formation. HOS15 interacts with EIN3 in planta and promotes its destabilization. Furthermore, the hos15-2 ein3-1 double mutant exhibited reduced hook curvature and lower expression of HLS1 and ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR 1 (ERF1) compared with hos15-2 alone, indicating that EIN3 functions downstream of HOS15. These findings establish HOS15 as a key modulator of ethylene signaling, fine-tuning EIN3 protein stability during apical hook development in Arabidopsis thaliana.
SOC1 clade genes coordinate lateral root development and response to multiple phytohormonal and environmental stress signals in Arabidopsis.
Li X, Ma Q, Jin P … +8 more , Wang Y, Yang T, Chen Y, Guo S, Zhang Z, Xiang C, Wang Q, Yu L
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42030734 · Publisher ↗
Plant root system architecture (RSA) underlies water and nutrient acquisition and is highly plastic in response to environmental fluctuations. While MADS-box transcription factors are best known for regulating flowering...
Plant root system architecture (RSA) underlies water and nutrient acquisition and is highly plastic in response to environmental fluctuations. While MADS-box transcription factors are best known for regulating flowering and floral development, their roles in root development and stress adaptation remain poorly understood. Here, we identify the SOC1-clade MADS-box genes (AGL14, AGL19, and SOC1) as a redundant regulatory module integrating auxin signaling with environmental cues to control lateral root (LR) development. AGL14 is strongly and specifically expressed in the root vascular cylinder and lateral root primordia (LRPs) throughout all developmental stages. Overexpression of AGL14 enhances LR numbers, whereas loss-of-function mutants show reduced LR formation. Mechanistically, AGL14 promotes auxin accumulation in LRPs accompanied by higher expression levels of auxin transporters (PIN1, PIN4, LAX3) and biosynthetic genes (YUC3, YUC8, AMI1). AGL19 and SOC1 exhibit overlapping expression patterns and act redundantly with AGL14 to maintain auxin homeostasis and LR formation. All three SOC1-clade genes are transcriptionally induced by auxin and nitrogen deficiency but repressed by abscisic acid, osmotic stress, and salinity, positioning them as a potential node linking hormonal and environmental signaling networks. Our findings uncover a new role for SOC1-clade genes in LR developmental plasticity, providing new targets for optimizing RSA to enhance crop resilience under nutrient and water limitations.
A systematic identification and characterization of long noncoding RNAs during abiotic stress in Medicago truncatula.
Du K, Zhu Y, Yan W … +8 more , Gao T, Mu W, Zhao Z, Dan Z, Meng X, Chen H, Zhao Y, Zhang J
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42019088 · Publisher ↗
Abiotic stresses significantly affect plant growth and development, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of plant stress responses. However, a systematic characterization of lncRNAs landscape...
Abiotic stresses significantly affect plant growth and development, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of plant stress responses. However, a systematic characterization of lncRNAs landscapes across multiple abiotic stresses in Medicago truncatula remains lacking. In particular, the coordinated roles of lncRNAs under diverse stress conditions and their potential regulatory relationships remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed 54 public RNA-seq datasets of Medicago truncatula under seven stress conditions and identified 6,449 lncRNAs, including 4,115 novel and 2,334 known lncRNAs. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential expression analysis revealed stress-responsive lncRNAs, including co-expressed lncRNAs in key modules and differentially expressed lncRNAs under cold, drought and salt stress. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these were involved in intracellular components, cellular component biogenesis, and metabolic processes. Furthermore, we predicted that seven lncRNAs may serve as potential precursors of 20 miRNAs. Under cold stress, eight putative lncRNAs MtCIRs were predicted based on their expression levels and chromosomal locations relative to MtCBFs genes, among which MtCIR1 and MtCIR3-1 exhibited the highest sequence similarity. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive landscape of stress-responsive lncRNAs in M. truncatula and offers testable hypotheses as well as valuable resources for the future functional characterization of lncRNAs in legume stress adaptation.
Extracellular ROS perception by HPCA1 sustains wound-induced systemic signaling and stomatal closure at the cotyledon stage in Arabidopsis.
Fraudentali I, Furlani A, Gagliano M … +1 more , Cona A
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 42001757 · Publisher ↗
HPCA1 is a plasma membrane-localized HO receptor that has been implicated in extracellular ROS perception and calcium signaling, yet its role in systemic propagation of rapid signals and acclimation responses remains unc...
HPCA1 is a plasma membrane-localized HO receptor that has been implicated in extracellular ROS perception and calcium signaling, yet its role in systemic propagation of rapid signals and acclimation responses remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of HPCA1 in wound-induced systemic ROS signaling and stomatal regulation in 7-day-old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Using in vivo fluorescence imaging with the ROS-sensitive probe CM-HDCFDA, we show that mechanical injury applied to either cotyledons or roots triggers a rapid and sustained systemic ROS accumulation in wild-type seedlings. In contrast, this response is impaired in hpca1, indicating that HPCA1 is required to sustain wound-induced systemic ROS signaling in seedlings. Consistently, loss of HPCA1 compromised ROS accumulation in guard cells following both wounding and exogenous HO treatment. This deficiency is associated with the complete loss of local and distal stomatal closure, whereas wild-type seedlings display consistent and coordinated stomatal responses. These results indicate that extracellular ROS perception mediated by HPCA1 is essential for the transduction of systemic ROS signals into a functional physiological acclimation response at the guard-cell level. Altogether, our findings support a model in which HPCA1 acts as a key hub coupling extracellular ROS perception with signal propagation and intracellular transduction pathways, thereby sustaining wound-induced systemic signaling and coordinating stomatal acclimation in Arabidopsis seedlings.
Unveiling the multifaceted roles of crop secondary metabolites: From quality enhancement and stress resilience to molecular regulation and precision improvement.
Li H, Yan H, Zhao Y … +5 more , Xiao Q, Chen N, Yang L, Deng K, Xu D
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 41985301 · Publisher ↗
Crops are fundamental to global food security, yet their production and quality are increasingly challenged by climate change, resource limitations, and both biotic and abiotic stresses. Secondary metabolites play crucia...
Crops are fundamental to global food security, yet their production and quality are increasingly challenged by climate change, resource limitations, and both biotic and abiotic stresses. Secondary metabolites play crucial roles in enhancing sensory attributes, improving nutritional value, and strengthening stress resilience in crops. They also contribute to sustainable agriculture by reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides. However, the spatial and temporal coordination of secondary metabolite pathways under realistic and combined stress conditions, as well as the translation of multilayer regulatory mechanisms into field-level crop improvement, remain insufficiently understood. This review systematically summarizes the diverse functions of secondary metabolites in crop quality optimization and stress adaptation. Particular emphasis is placed on elucidating the underlying molecular regulatory networks, including key biosynthetic enzymes and genes, transcriptional regulators, noncoding ribonucleic acids, and epigenetic modifications. In addition, we discuss the transformative potential of advanced biotechnological approaches for dissecting secondary metabolite biosynthesis and enabling precise crop improvement strategies. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive theoretical framework and practical perspectives for harnessing secondary metabolism to enhance crop quality, improve stress tolerance, and stabilize yield under changing environmental conditions.
Elymus nutans transcription factor EnWRKY41 negatively regulates Arabidopsis thaliana drought tolerance by reducing callose deposition via EnGlu1.
Xing S, Liu Z, Jiang J … +5 more , Wang J, Xiong P, Liu Z, Zhou H, Chang D
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 41980393 · Publisher ↗
As a global environmental challenge, drought stress severely restricts plant growth and development. Therefore, improving plant resistance to drought is of great importance in the context of climate change. Transcription...
As a global environmental challenge, drought stress severely restricts plant growth and development. Therefore, improving plant resistance to drought is of great importance in the context of climate change. Transcriptional regulation is essential for plant stress responses and tolerance. Here, we investigated the role of EnWRKY41, a WRKY transcription factor from forage grass Elymus nutans (E. nutans), in drought tolerance using Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) as a heterologous system. First, we performed RNA-seq analysis on two wild accessions of E. nutans to identify the potential TFs involved in drought response, and the RNA-seq data indicated that EnWRKY41 might be an essential mediator during drought response in E. nutans. Further analyses demonstrated that EnWRKY41 is drought-inducible in E. nutans, and its heterologous overexpression significantly reduces drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. Transgenic plants exhibit impaired stomatal closure, increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and reduced osmotic adjustment capacity during drought response. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that EnWRKY41 directly binds to the W-box sequence in the promoter of EnGlu1, which encodes a β-1,3-glucanase and activates its expression. Consistently, plants overexpressing EnGlu1 also exhibited a drought-sensitive phenotype similar to that of EnWRKY41-overexpressing lines. Furthermore, drought stress significantly enhanced callose deposition in wild-type Arabidopsis plants, whereas this process was markedly suppressed in EnWRKY41- or EnGlu1-overexpressing plants. These results suggest that the EnWRKY41-EnGlu1 module negatively regulates plant drought tolerance possibly by reducing callose deposition and disrupting cellular barrier function.
The 'plant killer' strategy: Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC)-driven coordination of carbon allocation and nitrogen uptake in Mikania micrantha.
Chen L, Chen L, Liang Q … +5 more , Chen C, Shi J, Yuan J, Liu Y, Peng C
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41962208 · Publisher ↗
Mikania micrantha, known as the "plant killer," successfully invades forests by rapidly climbing trees and covering the canopy with extensive branching. However, the integrated above-belowground coordination mechanism th...
Mikania micrantha, known as the "plant killer," successfully invades forests by rapidly climbing trees and covering the canopy with extensive branching. However, the integrated above-belowground coordination mechanism that sustains this invasion remains unclear. To elucidate this mechanism, we simulated the canopy-covering process via stem bending and compared M. micrantha with two companion species (Ipomoea nil and Paederia scandens). By integrating physiological and transcriptomic analyses, we propose a mechanistic model that connects nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) allocation, sink strength, and sugar-hormone-nitrogen signaling to coordinate shoot expansion with root nitrogen acquisition. During canopy coverage, M. micrantha exhibited higher acid invertase (AI) and neutral invertase (NI) activities than its companion vines to maintain glucose accumulation in stems, alleviating the inhibition of elongation induced by weakened apical dominance. Branches exhibited elevated cell wall invertase, AI, and NI activities and NSC accumulation, promoting rapid aboveground biomass expansion. Enhanced aboveground NSC pool promoted sucrose translocation to roots via the high expression of sucrose transporters (MmSWEET10 and MmSUC4), stimulating root carbon allocation and metabolism. Accumulated soluble sugars in roots likely activated auxin and gibberellin biosynthesis, brassinosteroid signaling, and cytokinin transport, thereby upregulating nitrate transporter genes (such as MmNPF7.3) to sustain shoot growth. This NSC-mediated carbon-nitrogen feedback reveals the invasive mechanism by which M. micrantha rapidly covers forest canopies.
Drought-triggered H2A.Z dynamics at clade A PP2C loci are conserved in plants but exhibit species-specific features.
Zhou Q, Chen X, Li Y … +7 more , Su Y, Jin Y, Zeng G, Deng Z, Qin X, Shen X, Hu Y
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41955960 · Publisher ↗
The dynamic deposition and eviction of H2A.Z play a crucial role in regulating gene expression during plant stress responses. Our previous study demonstrated that H2A.Z removal accompanies the drought-induced activation...
The dynamic deposition and eviction of H2A.Z play a crucial role in regulating gene expression during plant stress responses. Our previous study demonstrated that H2A.Z removal accompanies the drought-induced activation of six clade A Protein Phosphatase 2C (PP2C) genes in sorghum. Here, we show that this eviction is fully reversed upon re-watering, indicating that H2A.Z dynamics are tightly linked to the transcriptional activity of these loci. Similar coupling is observed in both rice and maize: drought reduces H2A.Z levels in seven clade A PP2Cs in maize and in four in rice, suggesting a conserved role for H2A.Z in regulating clade A PP2C genes in monocots. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that the PP2Cs whose activation is linked with H2A.Z removal cluster predominantly within two subgroups (I and III), previously identified as negative regulators of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. In contrast, ABA- or salt-induced expression of clade A PP2Cs rarely correlates with H2A.Z eviction, implying the involvement of a drought-specific signal triggering H2A.Z removal. We identified SbGBF3 as a potential mediator of this process. SbGBF3 is a transcription factor inducible by drought, salt, and ABA, and physically interacts with the H2A.Z-evicting chromatin remodeler SbINO80. However, since SbGBF3 is also induced by ABA and salt stress, additional factors likely cooperate to confer the observed drought specificity.
The interplay of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in plants: From independent effects to synergistic regulation.
Li Y, Luo C, Li J … +2 more , Essemine J, Qu M
J Plant Physiol · 2026 Jun · PMID 41955949 · Publisher ↗
Photosynthetic carbon fixation and nitrogen-phosphorus acquisition is fundamental yet tightly interconnected processes that jointly determine crop productivity and nutrient use efficiency. While these processes have trad...
Photosynthetic carbon fixation and nitrogen-phosphorus acquisition is fundamental yet tightly interconnected processes that jointly determine crop productivity and nutrient use efficiency. While these processes have traditionally been studied independently, increasing evidence indicates that carbon assimilation, nutrient uptake, and metabolic allocation are coordinated through shared signaling pathways, metabolic nodes, and source-sink regulation. This review systematically summarizes the latest advances in research on how photosynthetic carbon metabolism interacts with N and P uptake across molecular, physiological, and agronomic scales. We highlight key regulatory modules, including transcriptional networks, hormonal signaling, and metabolite-mediated feedbacks, that integrate carbon supply with nutrient demand. Finally, we discuss how this integrative framework can guide molecular breeding and management strategies aimed at improving crop yield and nutrient use efficiency under resource limited and ever-changing environmental conditions.
An investigation of the major volatile organic compounds released by maize plants following the application of methyl jasmonate and Z-jasmone.
Piesik D, Krasińska A, Twardowski J … +6 more , Krawczyk K, Bocianowski J, Buszewski B, Wejnerowska G, Narloch I, Mayhew CA
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41934723 · Publisher ↗
Crops are significantly affected by climate and various biotic stresses, such as pests and plant pathogens. To enhance agricultural productivity, farmers predominantly rely on the application of synthetic plant protectio...
Crops are significantly affected by climate and various biotic stresses, such as pests and plant pathogens. To enhance agricultural productivity, farmers predominantly rely on the application of synthetic plant protection products. However, the use of such pesticides leads to environmental contamination and the accumulation of chemical residues in food and animal feed. An alternative approach is plant priming, which can be activated by jasmonate-related compounds to trigger effective responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we have investigated the effects of the foliar application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and Z-jasmone (Z-J) on maize plants to stimulate their natural defence mechanisms against insect attack. Following a first application of either elicitor, an increase in the emission of key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was observed. A second application of an elicitor can induce an even greater release of most of these VOCs compared to a single application, depending on the time interval between treatments. We report here the effects of these VOCs on the European Corn Borer larvae, an important pest of maize crops. The results demonstrate that primed plants are better prepared to cope with iimpending threats than non-primed plants due to prolonged upregulation of defensive volatiles. These findings indicate that elicitors have considerable potential for activating natural plant defences and may serve as effective components of sustainable pest management strategies.
Drought-induced ABA-responsive glutamate dehydrogenase activation is a dominant pathway for proline synthesis in Brassica napus leaves.
Park SH, La VH, Bae DW … +2 more , Lee BR, Kim TH
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41930810 · Publisher ↗
Abscisic acid (ABA), commonly referred to as the "stress hormone," is a key regulator of plant stress responses and tolerance. Accumulation of proline is one of the distinctive responses to drought stress. This study aim...
Abscisic acid (ABA), commonly referred to as the "stress hormone," is a key regulator of plant stress responses and tolerance. Accumulation of proline is one of the distinctive responses to drought stress. This study aimed to characterize the role of ABA in the glutamate (Glu) pathway linked to proline metabolism under drought conditions. In a preliminary experiment, drought stress simultaneously increased the levels of HO, ABA, NH, Glu, and proline as leaf water potential decreased. In the second experiment, the role of drought-induced ABA in regulating the Glu pathway to support proline metabolism was characterized by comparing responses to ABA biosynthesis inhibitor (fluridone) under drought (Drought + Flu), and to exogenous ABA under well-watered conditions (Exo-ABA). The drought-induced increases in drought-responsive parameters were significantly suppressed in the Drought + Flu treatment, whereas they remained largely unchanged in the Exo-ABA treatment. Drought-induced proteolysis contributed to NH accumulation, which activated glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) while concurrently suppressed the expression of genes involved in the GS/GOGAT pathway (GS2 and Fd-GOGAT1). Proline accumulation under drought was mainly driven by an increased Glu pool through NAD(H)-GDH activation, mediated by dehydration-responsive element binding protein 2 (DREB2) and NAC protein (NAC55) in a drought-induced ABA- and HO-dependent manner, in which proline biosynthesis-related genes (P5CS1 and P5CR) were upregulated and proline degradation-related gene (PDH) was downregulated. However, exogenous ABA-responsive transcription factors (AREB2 and SnRK2) had minimal effect on these responses. These results indicate that drought-induced, ABA-mediated activation of GDH pathway is a dominant route for Glu supply in proline synthesis.
Grafting onto wild tomato species: A viable strategy against combined abiotic stress?
Spormann S, Lebre M, Moutinho-Pereira J … +2 more , Soares C, Fidalgo F
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41930809 · Publisher ↗
Wild tomato species (WTS) have long been attracting the attention of plant researchers due to their ability to tolerate harsh environmental conditions in their natural habitats. In this context, their use in grafting pro...
Wild tomato species (WTS) have long been attracting the attention of plant researchers due to their ability to tolerate harsh environmental conditions in their natural habitats. In this context, their use in grafting procedures, where they serve as rootstocks, has been proposed as a strategy to enhance the stress resilience of cultivated tomato. However, insights into the effectiveness of this approach are still needed to understand its real potential. Thus, this study evaluated whether grafting tomato plants (cv. Chico III) onto WTS rootstocks (Solanum habrochaites LA1223 and Solanum galapagense LA1403) could improve growth and physiological performance under combined drought (limited irrigation) and salinity (200 mM NaCl) stress. Biometrical and photosynthetic parameters were evaluated in grafted and non-grafted plants, before and after stress exposure, and stress-induced changes in biochemical endpoints were also assessed. Grafting onto WTS delayed scion growth and did not prevent the reductions in photosynthesis, growth, or reproductive output observed under stress conditions. Still, the use of wild rootstocks contributed to some physiological adjustments, including enhanced photosystem II efficiency under control conditions and improved antioxidant and osmotic regulation under stress, although these effects were insufficient to fully counteract the impact of combined drought and salinity. These findings indicate that, under severe yet relevant conditions of combined abiotic stress, grafting onto WTS alone is not enough to improve tomato plant resilience. Importantly, this study provides novel insights into rootstock-mediated physiological responses and highlights species-specific stress adjustments among WTS, offering valuable information for future integrated stress mitigation strategies.
The Dianthus spiculifolius chlorophyll-binding protein DsSep2 can be used as a genetic resource to create 'golden leaf' plants.
Zhang H, Zhang H, Qiao S … +4 more , Ren L, Feng S, Wang J, Zhou A
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41930808 · Publisher ↗
'Golden leaf' plants have higher ornamental and economic value; however, they are mainly derived through artificial selection and breeding after natural variation, which comprises a stochastic breeding process. In the pr...
'Golden leaf' plants have higher ornamental and economic value; however, they are mainly derived through artificial selection and breeding after natural variation, which comprises a stochastic breeding process. In the present study, we established a method for the rapid production of golden leaf plants using transgenic techniques. In the ornamental plant Dianthus spiculifolius, stress-enhanced protein 2 (DsSep2) was identified as a member of the light-harvesting complex-like family. The results showed that DsSep2 contains a conserved chlorophyll (Chl)-binding motif and is localized within the chloroplasts. Further, the expression of DsSep2 was induced by light but decreased in the dark. Both transient or stable DsSep2 overexpression caused the golden-leaf phenotype in tobacco, Arabidopsis, and rice by reducing the Chl content. Moreover, the normal growth of transgenic golden leaf plants was not significantly affected. Similarly, endogenous DsSep2 overexpression caused Chl breakdown and a golden leaf phenotype in D. spiculifolius. However, the virus-induced gene silencing of DsSep2 in D. spiculifolius did not affect the Chl content or leaf color phenotype. In conclusion, our study shows that DsSep2 can be used as an excellent genetic resource for the rapid creation of golden-leaf plants, which will contribute to the abundance of ornamental plant resources.
Genome-wide identification and functional characterization of Isopentenyl Transferase (IPT) genes in mulberry (Morus spp.): Insights into evolutionary diversification and drought-responsive hormonal regulation.
Singhal C, Sharma AK, Khurana P
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41924757 · Publisher ↗
Cytokinins (CKs) orchestrate a myriad of developmental and adaptive processes in plants, with their biosynthesis initiated by isopentenyl transferases (IPTs), the key enzymes catalyzing the first and rate-limiting step....
Cytokinins (CKs) orchestrate a myriad of developmental and adaptive processes in plants, with their biosynthesis initiated by isopentenyl transferases (IPTs), the key enzymes catalyzing the first and rate-limiting step. Although indispensable for cytokinin biosynthesis, IPTs remain poorly characterized in Morus species. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of the IPT gene family in Morus notabilis, Morus alba, and Morus indica cv. K2. Six IPT loci were identified in M. notabilis and M. alba, whereas seven were found in M. indica. Phylogenetic reconstruction and structure analyses classified them into adenylate-type IPTs (Ad-IPTs) and tRNA-derived IPTs (tRNA-IPTs). Ad-IPTs are intronless and exhibit discrete, tissue-specific expression, whereas tRNA-IPTs contain multiple introns and display constitutive transcription, reflecting divergent evolutionary trajectories. Expression profiling revealed strong induction of Ad-IPTs by cytokinin and auxin, and marked up-regulation under drought, while tRNA-IPTs were transcriptionally repressed, implicating functional partitioning in cytokinin homeostasis under environmental constraints. Subcellular localization demonstrated MiIPT1 colocalization with a CFP-tagged plastid marker, confirming its plastid localization. Collectively, these findings provide the first integrative characterization of IPTs in mulberry, delineating lineage-specific diversification and stress-responsive regulation, and identify promising genetic targets for enhancing growth and drought resilience in perennial crops.
Identification and quantification of dandelion metabolites by NMR for the characterization and differentiation of dandelion germplasm.
Drießlein C, Krumpel A, Eickmeyer F … +2 more , Rettig M, Thielen C
J Plant Physiol · 2026 May · PMID 41916163 · Publisher ↗
Dandelion is an herb known for various pharmacological properties. The Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz) produces natural rubber of a suitable quality in its root system and is thus an alternative to traditional ru...
Dandelion is an herb known for various pharmacological properties. The Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz) produces natural rubber of a suitable quality in its root system and is thus an alternative to traditional rubber supply from the rubber tree. Efforts are being made to hybridize this plant species with the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) to increase the root yield. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has a wide range of applications as it allows the simultaneous detection of a variety of metabolites, thereby becoming a powerful tool in metabolomics. In this study, we use NMR-based metabolomics to investigate the metabolic profile of the two dandelion species Taraxacum koksaghyz and Taraxacum officinale as an initial step toward identifying characteristic profiles as a basis for biomarker discovery and provide the first comprehensive aqueous H NMR metabolomic comparison across leaf and root organs of both species. The data set included 100 Taraxacum koksaghyz and 94 Taraxacum officinale leaf samples as well as 43 Taraxacum koksaghyz and 85 Taraxacum officinale root samples. In the 1D H NMR spectra, we identified and quantified 56 metabolites including nine compounds not previously reported in either Taraxacum species. Subsequently, we coupled the metabolite results with multivariate statistics, which reveal distinct metabolic fingerprints, highlighting variations within the dandelion species and plant organs. Organ type emerged as the primary determinant of metabolic variation, with species-specific differences most prominent in roots. This establishes baseline NMR profiles essential for rubber breeding biomarker discovery, underscoring NMR's utility in dandelion metabolomics and deepening understanding of their organ-specific metabolism.
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