Article
Plant Sciences
Hamid Manzoor, Muhammad Shahzad Anjam, Fozia Saeed, Sumaira Rasul, Saira Yousaf, Ayesha Kirn, Muhammad Kamran Qureshi, Zafar Ullah Zafar, Muhammad Ashraf, Habib-ur-Rehman Athar
Summary: The AVP1 gene plays a key role in enhancing plant stress tolerance by maintaining ion and redox balance. Transgenic tobacco lines overexpressing AVP1 showed milder responses to drought stress compared to wild type plants, preserving the structural and functional stability of PSII.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Muhammad Kamran, Qari Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Bilal Ahmed, Noreen Falak, Amna Khatoon, Byung-Wook Yun
Summary: Biotic and abiotic stresses have a significant impact on agriculture, but through interactions with endophytes, plants are able to better withstand these stresses. Therefore, it is crucial to study these interactions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yaiza Gara Padilla, Ramon Gisbert-Mullor, Salvador Lopez-Galarza, Alfonso Albacete, Purificacion A. Martinez-Melgarejo, Angeles Calatayud
Summary: Phytohormones are important in regulating plant response to drought. This study aimed to investigate the hormonal balance modulation in young, grafted pepper plants under short-term water stress. Results showed that the NIBER(R) rootstock displayed better tolerance to short-term water stress, affecting the hormone balance.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yi-Ling Zuo, Qian-Nan Hu, Le Qin, Jia-Qiang Liu, Xue-Li He
Summary: The research found that fungal inoculation in the roots of desert plants affects the root biomass of the plants, with both single and combined inoculation resulting in decreased plant height but increased stem branching. Fungal inoculation influences root length and surface area, with different fungal species and combinations producing different effects, some promoting plant root growth but causing soil acidification.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mohamed S. Attia, Marwa S. Salem, Amer M. Abdelaziz
Summary: This study investigated the potential of stimulating the physiological immune responses in pepper plants against Fusarium wilt using eco-friendly inducers, and found that a particular strain of A. tubingensis exhibited excellent antifungal activity. Ultrastructure analysis showed significant changes in mycelium and conidia of Fusarium after treatment with A. tubingensis and other inducers. The application of endophytic fungi through foliar and soil treatments effectively reduced disease severity and provided high protection for pepper seedlings.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Chao He, Wenquan Wang, Junling Hou, Xianen Li
Summary: This study investigated dark septate endophytes (DSE) and their effects on licorice plants in arid ecosystems. Results showed that different DSE species had variable impacts on plant growth and active ingredient content, with A. chlamydospora and P. terricola positively affecting total biomass, root biomass, and active ingredient content under drought stress, suggesting their potential as promoters for licorice cultivation in dryland agriculture.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Na Liu, Hans Jacquemyn, Qiang Liu, Shi-Cheng Shao, Gang Ding, Xiaoke Xing
Summary: Dark septate endophytes (DSE) are root-colonizing fungi that enhance plant growth and drought tolerance.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gaeun Kim, Hojin Ryu, Jwakyung Sung
Summary: Plants respond to drought stress through mechanisms such as ABA signaling, sugar accumulation, and suberin deposition, which play crucial roles in plant growth, development, and drought resistance.
Article
Microbiology
Victoria Miranda, Gloria Andrea Silva-Castro, Juan Manuel Ruiz-Lozano, Sebastian Fracchia, Inmaculada Garcia-Romera
Summary: Drought is a major threat to plant growth, affecting various aspects of plant physiology. Previous studies have shown that endophytic fungus Zopfiella erostrata can improve water uptake and nutrient mineralization in plants. This study evaluated the effects of different strains of Z. erostrata on stress mitigation in wheat and tomato plants under water deficit conditions, and found that inoculation with Zopfiella strains significantly affected plant growth, with variations depending on the plant and strain involved.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shahar Weksler, Offer Rozenstein, Nadav Haish, Menachem Moshelion, Rony Wallach, Eyal Ben-Dor
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of using vegetation indices to detect root stress in plants, showing clear differences in spectral reflectance between healthy and root-damaged plants. Monitoring root damage at an early growing stage using leaf spectral reflectance is achievable.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jie Gao, Yong Zhao, Zhikun Zhao, Wei Liu, Conghui Jiang, Jinjie Li, Zhanying Zhang, Hongliang Zhang, Yage Zhang, Xiaoning Wang, Xingming Sun, Zichao Li
Summary: In this study, a negative regulator gene of root development called RRS1 was cloned, which represses root development by activating the expression of the OsIAA3 gene involved in auxin signaling pathway. Natural variation in RRS1 changes its protein's transcriptional activity, leading to increased root length and enhanced drought resistance. This study provides a new gene resource for improving root systems and cultivating drought-resistant rice varieties with important values in agricultural applications.
Article
Microbiology
Luis Morales-Quintana, Mario Moya, Romulo Santelices-Moya, Antonio Cabrera-Ariza, Claudia Rabert, Stephan Pollmann, Patricio Ramos
Summary: Supplementing Antarctic vascular plant-associated fungal endophytes can significantly improve the performance of strawberry plants under drought conditions, including increased biomass production, fruit number, and survival rate. Inoculation with fungal endophytes also enhances photosynthetic efficiency, reduces oxidative damage, modulates antioxidant enzymatic activity, and increases proline content in strawberry plants. This study demonstrates that promoting beneficial symbiosis between plants and endophytes is a sustainable strategy to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on crop production.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Oussama M'hamdi, Marton Egei, Zoltan Pek, Riadh Ilahy, Eszter Nemeskeri, Lajos Helyes, Sandor Takacs
Summary: Managing crop yields and optimizing water use is a global challenge. This study evaluates how tomato plants adapt to varying water levels and provides insights into root characteristics and chlorophyll content. The findings are important for optimizing root zone and cultivating drought-resilient cultivars.
Article
Horticulture
Sang Tae Kim, Sung-Je Yoo, Hang-Yeon Weon, Jaekyeong Song, Mee Kyung Sang
Summary: The study found that KJ40-treated plants showed decreased lipid peroxidation, activation of peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase, and decreased catalase and superoxide dismutase under water stress. Moreover, KJ40-treated plants triggered the expression of drought tolerance-related genes and maintained soil moisture and stomatal conductance during drought in greenhouse tests.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Ramon Gisbert-Mullor, Rodrigo Martin-Garcia, Iva Bazon Zidaric, Nuria Pascual-Seva, Bernardo Pascual, Yaiza Gara Padilla, Angeles Calatayud, Salvador Lopez-Galarza
Summary: The use of tolerant rootstocks in pepper crops helps to save irrigation water without affecting yields by changing the scion's perception of stress. In this study, 'Cuerno' pepper cultivar grafted onto the tolerant rootstock NIBER(R) was subjected to deficit irrigation. The grafted plants showed higher leaf dry weight, root volume, total fresh root biomass, and root volume percentage under stress conditions compared to ungrafted plants. Additionally, grafted plants had higher marketable production under both stress and control conditions, which was attributed to reduced blossom-end rot incidence.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ramona Marasco, Jean-Baptiste Ramond, Marc W. W. Van Goethem, Federico Rossi, Daniele Daffonchio
Summary: Our planet is facing massive ecosystem collapses and arid regions are experiencing various environmental and climatic challenges, leading to aridification and desertification. Preserving and restoring soil health in these areas is crucial to mitigate climate change's impact. Microorganisms and their functional properties and networks play a key role in fighting desertification. Relying on native dryland microorganisms and microbial communities as well as dryland plants and their associated microbiota is a practical approach to conserve and restore soil health and biodiversity.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ramona Marasco, Marco Fusi, Cristina Coscolin, Alan Barozzi, David Almendral, Rafael Bargiela, Christina Gohlke Nee Nutschel, Christopher Pfleger, Jonas Dittrich, Holger Gohlke, Ruth Matesanz, Sergio Sanchez-Carrillo, Francesca Mapelli, Tatyana N. Chernikova, Peter N. Golyshin, Manuel Ferrer, Daniele Daffonchio
Summary: Temperature has a significant impact on the adaptation and composition of microbiomes, and their enzymes play a crucial role in the thermal response. This study demonstrates that enzyme thermal properties not only explain microbial thermal plasticity but are also finely tuned by the thermal variability of the environment. The findings highlight the importance of temperature-driven enzyme selection in shaping microbiome thermal plasticity and emphasize the need to consider thermal variability in addition to mean annual temperature in understanding microbial community response to temperature.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ramona Marasco, Gregoire Michoud, Fatmah O. Sefrji, Marco Fusi, Chakkiath P. Antony, Kholoud A. Seferji, Alan Barozzi, Giuseppe Merlino, Daniele Daffonchio
Summary: The Red Sea is a unique ocean due to its geological isolation, lack of freshwater inputs and specific internal water circulations. We hypothesize that the mangrove sediments in the Red Sea are hotspots/reservoirs of unexplored microbial diversity that have evolved to cope with extreme conditions. Our study revealed a vast diversity of taxonomically novel microbial hydrocarbon degraders within the Red Sea mangrove sediments.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jenny M. Booth, Marco Fusi, Ramona Marasco, Daniele Daffonchio
Summary: Globally, the bioturbation activities of benthic species have a significant impact on soils and sediments. Mangrove intertidal sediments, which are typically oxygen-depleted and nutrient-poor, are particularly affected. The sediment microbiome plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling and the abundance of key biological elements, making it essential for ecosystem functioning. This review explores the role of bioturbation by plants and animals in shaping the sediment microbiome and highlights its potential as a nature-based solution to support mangrove development and deliver important ecological services.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Folco Giomi, Alberto Barausse, Alexandra Steckbauer, Daniele Daffonchio, Carlos M. Duarte, Marco Fusi
Summary: The decline of dissolved oxygen in the oceans could have negative impacts on marine life and biogeochemical cycles. Current models that focus on large-scale mean values may lead to inaccurate predictions. Short-term and small-scale oxygen fluctuations strongly influence marine ecosystems, but they are often neglected in large-scale modelling. Understanding the dynamics of dissolved oxygen at small relevant scales is crucial for accurate projection of the impacts of ocean and coastal deoxygenation on marine biogeochemical processes and communities.
Article
Microbiology
Marco Fusi, David K. Ngugi, Ramona Marasco, Jenny Marie Booth, Massimiliano Cardinale, Luciano Sacchi, Emanuela Clementi, Xinyuan Yang, Elisa Garuglieri, Stilianos Fodelianakis, Gregoire Michoud, Daniele Daffonchio
Summary: The microbial composition on the gills of fiddler crabs may play a crucial role in their adaptation to dynamic intertidal ecosystems and the transition from water to air.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gregoire Michoud, Tyler J. Kohler, Leila Ezzat, Hannes Peter, Juliet Kigongo Nattabi, Rosemary Nalwanga, Paraskevi Pramateftaki, Michail Styllas, Matteo Tolosano, Vincent De Staercke, Martina Schon, Ramona Marasco, Daniele Daffonchio, Massimo Bourquin, Susheel Bhanu Busi, Tom J. Battin
Summary: Due to climate change, the glaciers on Africa's 'Mountains of the Moon' in Rwenzori National Park, Uganda are expected to disappear within the next few decades. This will result in the disappearance of the glacier-fed streams and their resident microbial communities. A study on the benthic microbiome from the Mt. Stanley glacier-fed stream showed distinct differences from other glacier-fed streams, with the presence of novel taxa and different abundances of common groups. The primary producer community in this stream is rich, likely due to the greater environmental stability of the Afrotropics, and heterotrophic processes dominate the bacterial community.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Marco Fusi, Sylvain Rigaud, Giovanna Guadagnin, Alberto Barausse, Ramona Marasco, Daniele Daffonchio, Julie Regis, Louison Huchet, Capucine Camin, Laura Pettit, Cristina Vina-Herbon, Folco Giomi
Summary: Oxygen availability is crucial for ecosystem functioning and organism resistance to climate change in aquatic habitats. However, the ecological importance of oxygen variations has often been overlooked. Recent research highlights the dynamic nature of oxygen fluctuations and their influence on aquatic species physiology, adaptation, and biogeochemical functioning. Fluctuations in oxygen levels in productive aquatic habitats can range from extreme supersaturation to anoxia, impacting animal responses to thermal stresses. This paper provides compelling evidence that the fluctuating oxygen landscape, or oxyscape, plays a vital role in aquatic animal physiology, adaptation, and ecosystem biogeochemistry. The authors propose considering the oxyscape in the modeling and management policies of aquatic ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sreejith Kottuparambil, Ananya Ashok, Alan Barozzi, Gregoire Michoud, Chunzhi Cai, Daniele Daffonchio, Carlos M. Duarte, Susana Agusti
Summary: Understanding the immediate impacts of oil spills is crucial for predicting their long-term consequences on the marine environment. This study investigated the early signals of crude oil in seawater and plankton after a major oil spill in the Red Sea. The findings revealed significant incorporation of oil carbon into the dissolved organic carbon pool, alterations in UV absorption, elevated oil fluorescence emissions, changes in the carbon isotope composition of the seawater, enrichment of specific bacterial genera, and the presence of oil pollutants in zooplankton tissues. These early signs highlight the importance of predicting the long-term impacts of marine oil spills.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Erica M. Prosdocimi, Stefania Arioli, Francesca Mapelli, Zahraa Zeaiter, Marco Fusi, Daniele Daffonchio, Sara Borin, Elena Crotti
Summary: This study investigates the induction and resuscitation of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state in four Vibrio strains in cold seawater, as well as their response to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress. The results show that VBNC state leads to phenotypic changes in the cells, causing a loss of ability to grow on solid media, which can be partially or fully reverted upon resuscitation. Low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can prevent cell resuscitation, while prolonged exposure to hydrogen peroxide, even at concentrations lower than inhibitory levels for log-phase growth, permanently damages VBNC cells.
ANNALS OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
