Article
Plant Sciences
Fei Yi, Mingyue Huo, Jianrui Li, Jingjuan Yu
Summary: The circadian clock plays a crucial role in plants' response to drought stress, with potential candidate drought resistance genes identified through the study. The research further uncovers the temporal drought-response process and the crosstalk between drought stress and the circadian clock in foxtail millet.
Article
Plant Sciences
Enliang Liu, Linli Xu, Zhengqian Luo, Zhiqiang Li, Guohui Zhou, Haifeng Gao, Furong Fang, Jun Tang, Yue Zhao, Zhilin Zhou, Ping Jin
Summary: Drought has negative impacts on plant growth, development, agriculture, and food production. This study investigated the mechanisms of drought tolerance in seven sweet potato cultivars. Different drought-tolerance mechanisms were identified, providing important information for the selection of sweet potatoes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xin Liu, Shuai Zhang, Mengbo Sun, Yurong Guo, Shaoxing Zhao, Xutao Zhou, Xionghui Bai, Keli Dai, Huixia Li, Xiangyang Yuan, Weiping Shi, Pingyi Guo, Jie Guo
Summary: In this study, transcriptome data analysis before and after drought stress in the hybrid foxtail millet Zhangza 19 and its parents identified 5597 DEGs. Through WGCNA, 607 drought-tolerant genes and 286 heterotic genes were screened. Among them, 18 genes overlapped. One gene, Seita.9G321800, encoded MYBS3 transcription factor and showed upregulated expression after drought stress. It was named SiMYBS3 and showed transcriptional activation activity in yeast cells. Overexpression of SiMYBS3 in Arabidopsis conferred drought tolerance, insensitivity to ABA, and earlier flowering.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Regina Ninoles, Dolores Planes, Paloma Arjona, Carmen Ruiz-Pastor, Ruben Chazarra, Joan Renard, Eduardo Bueso, Javier Forment, Ramon Serrano, Ilse Kranner, Thomas Roach, Jose Gadea
Summary: Understanding the genetic factors involved in seed longevity is crucial in agriculture and ecology. This study investigated the mechanisms behind differing seed longevity in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing the importance of redox poise and stored mRNA in determining seed viability. Multiple factors contribute to seed longevity, including heat-shock factors and RNA regulation.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biology
Athina Georgiadou, Claire Dunican, Pablo Soro-Barrio, Hyun Jae Lee, Myrsini Kaforou, Aubrey J. Cunnington
Summary: Recent research has focused on improving the translation of animal models to human disease, but determining the relevance of animal models remains a challenge. In this study, comparative transcriptomics were used to evaluate the systemic host response in humans with different clinical manifestations of malaria and commonly used mouse models. The results showed that the Plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection model in mice closely reproduced the gene expression changes seen in severe malaria in humans. However, there was also significant discordance in gene expression changes between different host species and models.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Zhenzhen Bi, Yihao Wang, Pengcheng Li, Chengju Li, Yindu Liu, Chao Sun, Panfeng Yao, Yuhui Liu, Zhen Liu, Jiangping Bai
Summary: The study revealed that the difference in methylation background leads to variations in drought resistance between potato varieties, with Q having higher DNA methylation complexity and more refined regulation methods. The differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in DNA replication, transcription, translation, carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, and other pathways.
Article
Plant Sciences
Camilla Stanton, Jorge Rodriguez-Celma, Ute Kramer, Dale Sanders, Janneke Balk
Summary: Mutation of two E3 ligases that suppress iron uptake in roots also confers tolerance to zinc toxicity, identifying a regulatory point of interaction between iron and zinc homeostasis. Loss of function of BTSL1 and BTSL2, which encode E3 ubiquitin ligases, leads to Arabidopsis thaliana having tolerance to excess zinc. These mutants have similar zinc accumulation as the wild type, but lower iron accumulation in roots.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ting-Ting Sun, Zhi-Hao Su, Rui Wang, Rui Liu, Tao Yang, Wen-Teng Zuo, Shuang-Shuang Wen, Liu-Qiang Wang
Summary: This study investigated the response of Tamarix taklamakanensis to drought stress and rehydration treatment through physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic analyses. The results showed that drought stress affected plant characteristics, physiology, and enzyme activities. Different genes and metabolic pathways were found to be involved in the response to drought stress and rehydration in T. taklamakanensis.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ruben Alvarez-Fernandez, Christopher A. Penfold, Gregorio Galvez-Valdivieso, Marino Exposito-Rodriguez, Ellie J. Stallard, Laura Bowden, Jonathan D. Moore, Andrew Mead, Phillip A. Davey, Jack S. A. Matthews, Jim Beynon, Vicky Buchanan-Wollaston, David L. Wild, Tracy Lawson, Ulrike Bechtold, Katherine Denby, Philip M. Mullineaux
Summary: This study identified genes involved in the initiation and regulation of chloroplast-level acclimation to high light in mature leaves of Arabidopsis. The central role of BBX32 in this process was highlighted, along with the involvement of several other genes. The regulatory network discovered provides insights into the transcriptional control of acclimation processes distinct from other photoreceptor-regulated pathways.
Article
Plant Sciences
Fang Yang, Guanghui Lv
Summary: This study utilized transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate the response mechanisms of Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum to drought stress. The results showed that these plants exhibited adaptability at the morphological and physiological levels through the regulation of genes and metabolites. The findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of drought tolerance in Haloxylon species.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ricardo Cardoso Neves, Ask Mobjerg, Miyako Kodama, Jazmin Ramos-Madrigal, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Nadja Mobjerg
Summary: Tardigrades are known for their extreme stress tolerance, but they appear to be vulnerable to high temperatures. This study analyzes transcriptome data from heat-stressed tardigrades to understand the molecular processes affected by high temperatures. The findings reveal significant changes in transcription, metabolic adjustments, and preparation for encystment and diapause.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Estrella Santamaria, Alejandro Garcia, Ana Arnaiz, Irene Rosa-Diaz, Gara Romero-Hernandez, Isabel Diaz, Manuel Martinez
Summary: Plant molecular machinery is triggered to cope with various abiotic and biotic stresses, with specific mechanisms identified to optimize responses to individual threats. Transcriptomic analysis of different plant species and meta-analysis of responses reveal common mechanisms for herbivory and specific gene sets involved in particular interactions, highlighting the importance of jasmonate-induced pathways in plant stress responses.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mohsin Nawaz, Liao Li, Farrukh Azeem, Samina Shabbir, Ali Zohaib, Umair Ashraf, Hubiao Yang, Zhiyong Wang
Summary: In this study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Axonopus compressus under drought stress were identified and compared with the control group. The findings suggest the presence of a strong mechanism of drought tolerance in Axonopus compressus, providing a framework for further investigations into the specific roles of these genes in response to drought.
Article
Plant Sciences
Peisen Su, Chao Sui, Yufei Niu, Jingyu Li, Shuhan Wang, Fanting Sun, Jun Yan, Shangjing Guo
Summary: Drought is a significant stress that reduces crop yields and quality globally. This study evaluated the drought tolerance of 15 wheat cultivars and explored the underlying mechanisms. The findings revealed that antioxidant capacity is associated with higher drought tolerance in resistant wheat cultivars. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated distinct mechanisms of drought tolerance between two wheat cultivars.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chen Hu, Eduard Elias, Wojciech J. Nawrocki, Roberta Croce
Summary: Drought has significant effects on the photosynthetic apparatus of plants, leading to the disassembly and degradation of PSII supercomplexes and cores, as well as reduced antenna size and disassembly of PSI-LHCI supercomplexes. Despite no changes in PSI core protein content, the functionality of PSI is severely affected, suggesting the accumulation of nonfunctional PSI complexes. The operative quantum efficiency of PSII can be used as an early detection parameter for drought stress.
Article
Horticulture
John D. Stamford, Jim Stevens, Philip M. Mullineaux, Tracy Lawson
Summary: Determining the optimal light spectrum for crop growth can be challenging and varies depending on the crop species and variety. LED lighting allows for greater control over the light spectrum. This article discusses the roles of different spectral regions and their effects on plant growth and crop quality. It also explores how LED lighting can be used to manipulate plant growth and increase crop productivity, while considering the costs associated with different light treatments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shellie Wall, James Cockram, Silvere Vialet-Chabrand, Jeroen Van Rie, Alexander Galle, Tracy Lawson
Summary: The ability of plants to respond to changes in environmental conditions is crucial for their survival and reproductive success. The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration can have a significant impact on crop performance, potentially affecting future food security. This study evaluates the phenotypic variation in wheat relatives and elite bread wheat cultivars, identifying differences in photosynthetic capacity and stomatal responses that could be beneficial for enhancing carbon gain and water use efficiency. Understanding the underlying genetics of these traits will be important for future breeding programs.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Tracy Lawson, Alexandra L. Milliken
Summary: Although leaves are often considered the primary site for photosynthesis, other green nonfoliar tissues also play a significant role in carbon assimilation. Understanding the physiology and contribution of these nonfoliar tissues to overall plant carbon gain has become increasingly important due to the potential improvements it can bring to crop productivity. This review provides an overview of nonfoliar photosynthesis, including the role of stomata in these tissues and the quantification methods used to determine their contribution to overall carbon assimilation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dominique Arnaud, Michael J. Deeks, Nicholas Smirnoff
Summary: Reactive oxygen species are generated in plants in response to pathogens and pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Using biosensors, researchers observed oxidative events in various cell compartments during the immune response to flg22 and Pseudomonas syringae. The oxidative burst in the cytosol is partially suppressed by bacterial effectors, while the extracellular oxidative burst requires the involvement of NADPH oxidase and specific signaling components.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wolfram H. Gruhn, Walfred W. C. Tang, Sabine Dietmann, Joao P. Alves-Lopes, Christopher A. Penfold, Frederick C. K. Wong, Navin B. Ramakrishna, M. Azim Surani
Summary: Epigenetic resetting in the mammalian germ line involves acute DNA demethylation, resulting in reduced repressive histone modifications and acquisition of a neutral or paused epigenetic state in hypomethylated human primordial germ cells (hPGCs). Transcriptional repression in hPGCs relies on local maintenance of heterochromatic features and a lack of inductive cues, with a subset of genomic loci requiring specific histone modifications for efficient repression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soyanni Holness, Ulrike Bechtold, Phillip Mullineaux, Giovanna Serino, Paola Vittorioso
Summary: In plants, priming allows for a more rapid and robust response to recurring stresses. However, less is known about how priming due to one stress can help plants cope with subsequent different stresses. This study investigated the priming effects in Arabidopsis plants subjected to high light (HL) stress followed by drought (D) stress, and found that HL can mediate transcriptional priming and enhance plant responses to stress.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
John E. Lunn
Summary: The Journal of Experimental Botany has appointed six early career researchers as editorial interns to train the next generation of editors.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Taiyu Chen, Marta Hojka, Philip Davey, Yaqi Sun, Gregory F. Dykes, Fei Zhou, Tracy Lawson, Peter J. Nixon, Yongjun Lin, Lu-Ning Liu
Summary: Engineering carboxysomes into crop chloroplasts can enhance photosynthesis and crop yield. The authors successfully engineered functional CO2-fixing modules into tobacco chloroplasts, improving photosynthesis and productivity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Samuel Barton, Daniel Padfield, Abigail Masterson, Angus Buckling, Nicholas Smirnoff, Gabriel Yvon-Durocher
Summary: Several experimental studies have shown that phytoplankton can adapt rapidly to warmed environments. However, these studies often use different experimental techniques, limiting our ability to compare thermal adaptation across different species. In this study, simultaneous long-term warming experiments were conducted on three phylogenetically diverse species of marine phytoplankton, revealing varying levels of thermal adaptation. Synechococcus sp. displayed the greatest improvement in fitness and thermal tolerance, Ostreococcus tauri showed some improvement but to a lesser extent, and Phaeodoactylum tricornutum showed no signs of adaptation. These findings can enhance our understanding of how phytoplankton communities may change in response to warming and the potential biogeochemical implications.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
John N. Ferguson, Tamanna Jithesh, Tracy Lawson, Johannes Kromdijk
Summary: Photosynthesis is an important target for crop improvement, but phenotyping photosynthesis in field-grown crops is challenging. Previous studies have attempted to overcome this challenge by phenotyping excised leaf material in the lab, but the representative nature of these measurements compared to attached leaves has not been demonstrated. In this study, we found limited but important differences in photosynthetic traits between excised and attached leaves in tomato, barley, and maize.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Donald R. Ort, John E. Lunn
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dominique Arnaud, Michael J. Deeks, Nicholas Smirnoff
Summary: Stomatal defences, mediated by apoplastic ROS, are vital for plants to prevent pathogen entry. This study sheds light on the role of NADPH oxidase RBOHF in the interplay between apoplastic and cytosolic ROS dynamics during stomatal immune response. Surprisingly, the rbohF mutant showed unexpected over-oxidation of the H2O2 sensor roGFP2-Orp1, while being impaired in PAMP-triggered stomatal closure and apoplastic alkalinisation.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Aled Jones, Sarah Bridle, Katherine Denby, Riaz Bhunnoo, Daniel Morton, Lucy Stanbrough, Barnaby Coupe, Vanessa Pilley, Tim Benton, Pete Falloon, Tom K. Matthews, Saher Hasnain, John S. Heslop-Harrison, Simon Beard, Julie Pierce, Jules Pretty, Monika Zurek, Alexandra Johnstone, Pete Smith, Neil Gunn, Molly Watson, Edward Pope, Asaf Tzachor, Caitlin Douglas, Christian Reynolds, Neil Ward, Jez Fredenburgh, Clare Pettinger, Tom Quested, Juan Pablo Cordero, Clive Mitchell, Carrie Bewick, Cameron Brown, Christopher Brown, Paul J. Burgess, Andy Challinor, Andrew Cottrell, Thomas Crocker, Thomas George, Charles J. Godfray, Rosie S. Hails, John Ingram, Tim Lang, Fergus Lyon, Simon Lusher, Tom Macmillan, Sue Newton, Simon Pearson, Sue Pritchard, Dale Sanders, Angelina Sanderson Bellamy, Megan Steven, Alastair Trickett, Andrew Voysey, Christine Watson, Darren Whitby, Kerry Whiteside, Michael S. Carolan
Summary: This study reports the most likely routes to civil unrest in the UK through a structured expert elicitation. Experts identified food distribution problems as the most likely scenario for unrest within the next 10 years, while a lack of total food in the UK was considered the most probable scenario over a 50-year timeframe.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jiayu Zhang, Elias Kaiser, Leo F. M. Marcelis, Silvere Vialet-Chabrand
Summary: This study developed a method and protocols using a thermal camera to derive absorbed irradiance at any visible part of a canopy, providing a new approach for interpreting plant responses derived from imaging techniques.