Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Di Zhang, Jun Tang, Kai Wei, Shangang Jia, Yiwei Jiang, Hongwei Cai, Peisheng Mao, Manli Li
Summary: This study investigated the changes in leaf cell structure, physiological indicators, and transcriptomic response of zoysiagrass after inoculation with P. zoysiae. The susceptible line showed more severe damage and earlier impairment. Transcriptome analysis revealed differences in the early response between resistant and susceptible lines.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Simeng Li, Qinyi Wang, Wenjun Li, Yan Yang, Lijuan Jiang
Summary: This study investigated the sex-specific responses of Litsea cubeba under lead (Pb) stress. The results showed that male plants exhibited greater adaptability to Pb stress by enlarging their leaf area and enhancing photosynthesis. Furthermore, more Pb reached the organelle fraction and damaged chloroplasts and mitochondria in female leaves under high-level Pb treatments. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the utilization of L. cubeba in the phytoremediation of Pb-polluted soil.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Deborah Charlesworth
Summary: A recent study suggests that the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea has a primed autosome that can evolve into a sex chromosome. However, this chromosome may function as a balanced-lethal system, shedding light on these puzzling systems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Salcedo-Sarmiento, Carlos E. Aucique-Perez, Patricia R. Silveira, Adans A. Colman, Andre L. Silva, Paloma S. Correa Mansur, Fabricio A. Rodrigues, Harry C. Evans, Robert W. Barreto
Summary: Calonectria hemileiae shows promise as a biocontrol agent of coffee leaf rust (CLR), with the ability to inhibit rust spore germination and enhance plant resistance through mycoparasitism. The fungus demonstrated significant reduction in CLR severity both in vitro and in planta experiments, with no damage to coffee photosynthesis observed unlike fungicide applications.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaodong Wang, Tong Zhai, Xingmin Zhang, Chunlei Tang, Rui Zhuang, Haibin Zhao, Qiang Xu, Yulin Cheng, Jianfeng Wang, Sebastien Duplessis, Zhensheng Kang, Xiaojie Wang
Summary: Effector proteins from the wheat stripe rust pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) target chloroplasts in wheat by interacting with the wheat cytochrome b6-f complex iron-sulfur subunit (TaISP). This disrupts the sorting of chloroplast proteins, limiting host ROS accumulation and promoting fungal pathogenicity. Silencing of these effectors induced significant resistance to Pst, demonstrating their role as virulence factors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Behrouz Hassannia, Samya Van Coillie, Tom Vanden Berghe
Summary: Iron is crucial for body growth and functioning, but excessive labile ferrous iron can lead to oxidative stress-induced injury. The review highlights the detrimental role of iron and ferroptosis in various disease models. Future research on ferroptosis in human diseases and the development of reliable biomarkers are essential for potential therapeutic targeting.
ANTIOXIDANTS & REDOX SIGNALING
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Hongli Wang, Qian Jiang, Zhenyu Sun, Shiqin Cao, Haiguang Wang
Summary: The timely and accurate identification of stripe rust and leaf rust is essential in effective disease control and the safe production of wheat worldwide. This study investigated methods for identifying the two diseases on different wheat varieties based on image processing technology. By building multi-variety disease identification models using optimal feature combinations from disease images, satisfactory identification performances were achieved.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guillaume G. Cossard, Jorn F. Gerchen, Xinji Li, Yves Cuenot, John R. Pannell
Summary: Experimental evolution results indicate that, in dioecious plant populations where males are removed, females can rapidly develop an increase in male flower production over several generations, showing masculinization. This phenomenon, accompanied by the evolution of partial self-fertilization and high seed set, suggests that under specific conditions, dioecious plants can quickly transition to hermaphroditism.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kassa Semagn, Muhammad Iqbal, Diego Jarquin, Jose Crossa, Reka Howard, Izabela Ciechanowska, Maria Antonia Henriquez, Harpinder Randhawa, Reem Aboukhaddour, Brent D. McCallum, Anita L. Brule-Babel, Alireza Navabi, Amidou N'Diaye, Curtis Pozniak, Dean Spaner
Summary: This study investigated the application of genomic selection in major diseases of spring wheat and compared the impact of different models on prediction accuracies. The results showed that the M3 model, which incorporated GE interactions, outperformed the M2 model in reducing residual variance and improving prediction accuracies.
Article
Agronomy
Raquel Rosa Ribeiro, Marcel Bellato Sposito
Summary: Water limitation-induced abiotic stress can reduce the growth of raspberry plants and intensity of late leaf rust. There was no observed synergism between biotic and abiotic stresses for late leaf rust in raspberries.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhihui Li, Xin Fang, Tong Zhen, Yuhua Zhu
Summary: Wheat production safety is threatened by worldwide wheat yellow rust disease, which is difficult to detect in the early stage but manifests obvious symptoms in the middle and late stages. To address this issue, an optimized GhostNetV2 approach is proposed, which improves the training time, accuracy, and speed of disease identification compared to other lightweight model algorithms.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Yuruo Yin, Chan Yuan, Yichen Zhang, Shunda Li, Bin Bai, Ling Wu, Yong Ren, Ravi P. Singh, Caixia Lan
Summary: In this study, a new race-specific seedling stripe rust resistance gene, YrK, was identified on wheat chromosome 5BL through genotyping-by-sequencing and bulked segregant RNA sequencing. Functional molecular markers for YrK were developed. Additionally, four adult plant resistance (APR) loci were mapped on wheat chromosome arms 1BL, 2AS, 2BS, and 4AL. The findings of this study provide valuable resources for the development of rust-resistant wheat varieties.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lukas Scharer
Summary: Mitochondria, the cell's power stations, are inherited through eggs rather than sperm. In hermaphroditic plants, they can cause cytoplasmic male sterility by preventing the host from producing pollen and sperm. New evidence from hermaphroditic freshwater snails now confirms the presence of cytoplasmic male sterility in animals.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaojun Zhang, Jianbo Li, Yudi Ge, Haixia Guan, Guangrong Li, Shuwei Zhang, Xiaolu Wang, Xin Li, Zhijian Chang, Peng Zhang, Juqing Jia, Cheng Liu
Summary: This study developed a wheat-Th. intermedium substitution line CH51, which exhibited high levels of resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust diseases in the field. In addition, CH51 lacked a pair of wheat chromosome 6B.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anting Guo, Wenjiang Huang, Yingying Dong, Huichun Ye, Huiqin Ma, Bo Liu, Wenbin Wu, Yu Ren, Chao Ruan, Yun Geng
Summary: This study utilized UAV-based hyperspectral images to monitor yellow rust disease at the field scale, and found that the VI-TF-based models had the highest accuracy in each infection period, outperforming other models. Spatial resolution significantly influenced the monitoring accuracy of TF-based models, while having a negligible impact on VI-based monitoring accuracy. The optimal spatial resolution for monitoring yellow rust using the VI-TF-based model in each infection period was found to be 10 cm.
Article
Forestry
Zhichao Xia, Yue He, Helena Korpelainen, Ulo Niinemets, Chunyang Li
Summary: The study revealed significant impacts of tree sex and neighbor effects on root phenolics and rhizosphere microbiomes, with greater variability in metabolic composition of females and improved diversity of bacteria and fungi in mixed plantations. Bacterial and fungal diversity were correlated with specific phenolic metabolites, showing positive responses to root benzoic acid and pinoresinol.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Miao Liu, Yang Zhao, Xiucheng Liu, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: This study revealed the gender-dependent regulation of salt stress tolerance by nitrogen forms, which was associated with the maintenance of the K+/Na+ ratio in tissues, the ability of Na+ translocation to the shoots, and the transcriptional regulation of bark cell wall and proteolysis profiles in response to salt stress under both nitrogen forms.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Miao Liu, Xiucheng Liu, Yang Zhao, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: This study investigated nitrogen allocation in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic apparatus of Populus cathayana Rehder females and males under drought, salt, and their combination. The results showed that males had lower leaf N allocation and higher photosynthetic N use efficiency, while females had higher allocation of N into non-protein N. Leaf N allocation was related to plant responses to different stress treatments, and there were intersexual and intrasexual differences in N allocation.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fei Yu, Lita Yi, Xiaoyu Mao, Qi Song, Helena Korpelainen, Meihua Liu
Summary: Cd toxicity and simulated N deposition have different effects on male, female, and hermaphrodite mulberry seedlings, with females showing lower tolerance to Cd stress. N deposition can help alleviate the negative effects of Cd on leaves and reduce sexual differences in the seedlings. Cd tolerance in mulberry seedlings may be improved through different ways with the help of N deposition.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lei Yu, Zongdi Huang, Zhijun Li, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: This study investigated the nutrient resorption patterns in females and males of Populus euphratica and identified sexual dimorphism in leaf nutrient resorption. The different nutrient resorption strategies were related to leaf economics, with males possessing a conservation strategy and females resorbing more phosphorus for reproductive investment. Understanding these sex-specific nutrient resorption strategies is important for studying plant nutrient balance and adaptation strategies under climate change.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zhichao Xia, Yue He, Zuodong Zhu, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: Dioecious species are vulnerable to climate change due to sex-specific responses to drought, and differences in functional traits between female and male plants. In this study, we found that females had greater specific root length and higher phosphorus concentration under well-watered conditions, while males exhibited distinct physiological adjustments and maintained higher functional microbial stability under water deficiency. Our findings highlight the covariations and trade-offs in functional traits and shed light on the mitigation strategies of males and females under resource shortage.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lei Yu, Zongdi Huang, Shuanglei Tang, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: This study investigated the sexual dimorphism in Populus euphratica under drought, salinity, and combined stress. The results showed that male P. euphratica seedlings exhibited stronger resistance to stress and had protective structures, higher biomass, and enhanced physiological responses compared to females. The significant sex x drought x salinity interactions suggested that the sexual dimorphism depends on the severity of stress. These findings imply that future climate change with increased aridity and soil salinity may lead to more severe shifts in the sex ratio of P. euphratica forests.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Qingxue Guo, Lin Liu, Jiantong Liu, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: The study found significant differences in microbial compositions between male and female plants in different environments, particularly in fungal endophytes which exhibited distinct community structures, keystone species, and complexity between P. cathayana males and females. The fungal co-occurrence network was more complex in young female leaves, showing significantly higher alpha diversity compared to young male leaves.
Article
Plant Sciences
Qingxue Guo, Jianhui Ye, Jianming Zeng, Liang Chen, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: Selenium acquisition from daily diet can reduce disease risk. The main source of dietary Se is the edible parts of crop plants, which is determined by Se bioavailability in soil. Recent research has focused on the biogeochemical cycle of Se driven by specific microorganisms, emphasizing the oxidizing process. Plant root exudates and rhizosphere microorganisms affect soil Se availability. Beneficial microorganisms, including endophytes, promote crop quality and improve crop tolerance to stresses. Understanding Se transformation along the plant-soil continuum is crucial for agriculture and human health.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lei Yu, Shuanglei Tang, Chengjin Guo, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: Soil salinity and alkalization in northwest China negatively impact plant growth and result in severe ecological problems. This study investigated the responses of male and female Populus euphratica seedlings to salinity, alkali, and their interaction. The results showed that male seedlings exhibited superior resistance and performed better than females under these stress conditions, with differences observed in growth, gas exchange, stomatal density, carbon isotope composition, soluble sugar and starch contents, Na+ accumulation and allocation, oxidative stress, and antioxidants.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Miao Liu, Junhua Wang, Wenting Zhao, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: This study assesses the influence of nutrient availability on plant-soil feedback (PSF) and sexual competition in dioecious Populus cathayana. The results show that PSF reduces sexual competition at low nitrogen availability, and intersexual competition and nutrient limitation promote sexual coexistence.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Biology
Helena Korpelainen, Maria Pietilainen
Summary: We explored various traits that promote plant invasions, such as life history traits, genetic variation patterns, competitive and dispersal abilities, phenotypic plasticity, resistance, tolerance, and allelopathic interactions. External factors, including abiotic and biotic constraints, also play a significant role in invasion success. The introduction of invasive species is often associated with human activities, and their adaptation may not be reflected in their geographical distribution. However, repeated introductions and novel mutations can compensate for a lack of adaptation. As a case study, we used data from the Global Invasive Species Database to identify factors contributing to invasiveness, such as human-assisted dispersal, preference for disturbed habitats, and being used as ornamentals. We found that invasive species commonly have mixed reproduction systems, providing flexibility for spreading and establishment.
Article
Ecology
Zhichao Xia, Yue He, Jiahui Xu, Zuodong Zhu, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: This study investigated the responses of fine root traits and rhizosphere microbial communities to drought in Populus euphratica plants. The results showed that females increased specific root length (SRL) in response to drought, while males showed no changes in roots but had increased arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal biomass and Gram-negative bacteria populations. Furthermore, the composition of fungal symbiotroph communities associated with male and female roots differed under drought conditions. These findings indicate that the responses of soil microbes to drought are influenced by plant sex and microbial group and are related to root trait adjustments.
SOIL ECOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Miao Liu, Yang Zhao, Yuting Wang, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: The study reveals that sex-specific drought resistance and recovery in dioecious Populus cathayana are associated with stem xylem anatomy and function, carbon metabolism, and cell turgor maintenance.
Article
Forestry
Qingquan Han, Haifeng Song, Congcong Yang, Sheng Zhang, Helena Korpelainen, Chunyang Li
Summary: Grafted plants' physiological and molecular phenotypes are affected by scion-rootstock interaction. This study found that interspecific grafting outperformed intraspecific grafting, with differences observed in genome-wide methylation levels and transcriptional levels. The superior performance of interspecific grafting was mainly related to photosynthesis, phytohormone signal transduction, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, cell wall, and transcriptional regulation.