Abscisic acid promotes lignin and suberin formation for potato wound healing.

Stem rot caused by Fusarium solani significantly threatens passion fruit production. However, the pathogenic mechanisms and host defenses remain unclear. We investigated hormonal dynamics, gene regulatory networks, and pathogenic factors during F. solani infection among resistant and susceptible passion fruit cultivars. The susceptible cultivar exhibited significantly higher levels of auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and abscisic acid (ABA), accompanied by up-regulated expression of auxin biosynthesis (AMI1, AAO1) genes. The pink module in the weighted gene co-expression network analysis correlated strongly with JA, SA, ABA, and tryptophan; hub genes included IAA-amido synthetase and WRKY transcription factors. Enrichment of cell wall-degrading enzymes strongly correlated with SA, JA, ABA and tryptophan levels. Hence, F. solani may manipulate host hormone signaling and secrete pectin lyases to facilitate infection. This study provides insights into hormone-pathogen interactions, informing strategies for breeding disease-resistant passion fruit and developing environmentally friendly control measures. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bisphenol A-mediated root exudates of ryegrass as potential activators of functional succession in the rhizosphere microorganisms: Mechanistic insights into microbial community assembly and biodegradation.

Although lychee peel extract (LPE) is rich in bioactive compounds, its potential for postharvest fruit preservation remains unexplored. We hypothesised that LPE would act synergistically with chitosan (CH) to delay mango ripening by simultaneously modulating cell wall integrity, pigment metabolism, and hormone signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate that chitosan combined with lychee peel extract (CHL) delays mango ripening through a multi-targeted mechanism. Specifically, CHL outperformed chitosan alone by significantly suppressing peel yellowing, maintaining fruit firmness, and reducing decay over 12days of storage. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that LPE reprogrammed ripening-associated pathways by (1) upregulating cell wall remodeling genes (CSLE1, XTH23) to stabilize pectin architecture, (2) retaining chlorophyll via suppressed CRTISO and PSY (carotenoid synthesis) and enhanced CHLP (chlorophyll biosynthesis), and (3) decoupling sugar-acid dynamics through γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and succinic acid accumulation. Notably, LPE attenuated ethylene-auxin- abscisic acid (ABA) crosstalk by downregulating ripening-specific transcription factors (ERF003, bZIPs) while activating stress-responsive WRKYs. These findings establish LPE as a sustainable alternative to synthetic preservatives, leveraging agricultural byproducts for eco-friendly fruit preservation.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis establishes a 14-3-3-centric regulatory hub for integrative drought adaptation in trifoliate orange.

Fruit softening critically impacts postharvest quality and storage of peach (Prunus persica L.). To explore the molecular mechanism regulating postharvest peach softening and identify key genes for maintaining fruit quality, this study focused on investigating the function and regulatory network of S-adenosine-L-homocysteine hydrolase 1 (SAHH1). Postharvest peach fruits showed continuous firmness decline and significant anthocyanin accumulation after day 10, indicating a rapid softening initiation. qRT-PCR confirmed PpSAHH1 was strongly positively correlated with firmness (r = 0.648). PpSAHH1 overexpression in peach delayed senescence by maintaining firmness, retarding color change, and preserving cell membrane integrity, while heterologous expression in tomato regulated ripening. Bioinformatics revealed PpSAHH1 is a cytoplasmic acidic soluble protein with conserved structures, evolutionarily close to Prunus dulcis SAHH, and its promoter contains abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive elements. Stable overexpression in apple callus altered cell wall metabolism: reduced pectin and increased cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Transcriptome analysis showed differentially expressed genes enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, calcium/auxin/ABA signaling, and plant-pathogen interaction. Yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase, and GUS assays verified myeloblastosis transcription factor 14 (PpMYB14) directly binds the PpSAHH1 promoter and activates its transcription. Silencing of MdMYB14 in apple significantly reduced the accumulation of total phenols and cell wall metabolic components, particularly lignin content. Collectively, the PpMYB14-SAHH1 module inhibits peach softening by coordinately regulating multiple signaling pathways and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis to promote lignin accumulation, offering new insights and potential targets for postharvest quality improvement.

Tissue specific mechanisms of tuber dormancy after 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene treatment in potato.

Phytohormone-microbial nexus targeting-next-generation strategy for fruit growth and postharvest resilience.

SOC1 clade genes coordinate lateral root development and response to multiple phytohormonal and environmental stress signals in Arabidopsis.

Phytotoxicity beyond bioaccumulation: Hexafluoropropylene oxide homologues disrupt Arabidopsis thaliana growth and reproduction via metabolic and hormonal dysregulation.

The APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily plays a central role in plant metabolism, stress responses, and hormone signaling. Rheum officinale Baill. is an important traditional medicinal plant whose roots and rhizomes are rich in anthraquinones and other secondary metabolites. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying its development and secondary metabolism remain unclear, and systematic analyses of its AP2/ERF family are lacking. This study aimed to characterize the genomic features, expression patterns, and potential functions of the AP2/ERF family in R. officinale. A total of 167 RoAP2/ERF genes were identified, unevenly distributed across 11 chromosomes. Gene family expansion was mainly driven by segmental and tandem duplications, with extensive collinearity observed betweenR. officinaleand related species. Phylogenetic, conserved domain, gene structure, and motif analyses classified these genes into five subfamilies (ERF, dehydration reaction element binding factor; AP2, related to abscisic acid insensitive 3/viviparous 1; and Soloist), with similar sequence characteristics within each subfamily. RNA-seq analysis revealed tissue-specific expression patterns, with Cluster 5 genes preferentially expressed in roots and rhizomes. RT-qPCR of 18 representative genes confirmed their involvement in various signaling pathways. RoERF065 and RoERF079 were exclusively nuclear-localized and strongly responsive to stress and hormone treatments. Functional assays indicated that RoERF079 acts as a C-terminal-dependent transcriptional activator, whereas RoERF065 may function as a repressor due to two EAR motifs. These genes may regulate root and rhizome development and secondary metabolism in R. officinale. This study provides a basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of organ development and bioactive compound biosynthesis and identifies candidate genes for molecular breeding.

Multigenerational stress exposure induces stress memory in plants, influencing resource allocation, defence mechanisms, and productivity. Weed competition imposes both resource-based (abiotic) and allelopathic (biotic) stress, engaging overlapping hormonal pathways. This study examined the hormonal and transcriptomic mechanisms underlying multigenerational stress memory in wheat subjected to inter-specific competition with kochia and Italian ryegrass and intra-specific competition with other wheat plants. Phytohormone analysis revealed increased salicylic acid levels, promoting systemic acquired resistance, whereas jasmonic acid levels declined, indicating suppressed jasmonate-mediated defence. Abscisic acid responses varied, reflecting shifts in water-use efficiency. Cytokinins and auxins exhibited generation- and treatment-specific trends, suggesting adaptive resource acquisition but potential hormonal imbalances. These hormonal shifts corresponded with phenotypic responses, where adaptive benefits peaked at Generation 3 before transitioning to maladaptive responses in later generations. Transcriptomic analysis identified dynamic changes in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and key pathways. Wheat-only competition peaked in stress-responsive DEGs in Generation 3, while wheat-kochia and wheat-ryegrass exhibited early generation transcriptional reprogramming and long-term adaptations. Intra-specific wheat competition showed early generation transcriptomic surges but persistent growth repression in the current study. These findings provide mechanistic insights into multigenerational stress memory mechanisms and reveal how phytohormonal crosstalk and transcriptional reprogramming shape wheat responses to competition stress across generations.

Genome-wide insights into the regulatory networks of ZmHsf28 in salt and drought stress.

Two new 2-benzylfuran compounds, designated as paramyfurans A (1) and B (2), and a new dihydrocoumarin compound, designated as paramylactone (3), along with abscisic acid (4), were isolated from the culture broth of the fungal strain Paramyrothecium sp. BF-1049. The planar structures of 1, 2, and 3 were elucidated based on spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR. Compound 3 was further separated into its enantiomers, namely (+)-paramylactone ((+)-3) and (-)-paramylactone ((-)-3), by HPLC using a chiral column. Their absolute stereochemistry was determined by comparing calculated and experimental ECD spectra. Compounds 1-4 exhibited cytotoxic activity against three mesothelioma cell lines (NCI-H2452, NCI-H2052, and Y-MESO-27), with IC50 values ranging from 0.68 to 19.86 μM.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a hormone that regulates plant responses to abiotic stress through complex signaling pathway. ABA-induced transcription repressors (AITRs), are a family of transcription factors involved in ABA signaling and abiotic stresses responses. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is an important crop for food, raw materials, and bioenergy, but its productivity is often affected by environmental stresses. In this study, 19 IbAITRs were identified in sweet potato genome and they were distributed across 16 chromosomes. IbAITRs gene structures were highly conserved, with no introns observed and phylogenetic analysis grouped them into two major clades with AITRs from other species. The promoter revealed multiple hormone and stress-responsive cis-elements, including ABRE motifs associated with ABA signaling. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that IbAITRs are expressed in multiple tissues, particularly in shoots, young leaves, initiating tuberous roots, and mature tuberous root, and their expression is induced by ABA and salt treatments. Transfection assays demonstrated that IbAITR11, IbAITR12, and IbAITR13 are nuclear proteins that function as transcriptional repressors. Our results indicate that IbAITR genes are involved in ABA- and salt-responsive regulatory networks in sweet potato. This study provides a foundation for future functional studies and highlights IbAITRs as potential targets for improving abiotic stress tolerance through molecular breeding.

Populus simonii × P. nigra is an important hybrid poplar with strong environmental adaptability, but the molecular basis of its abscisic acid (ABA)-related responses remains unclear. High genomic heterozygosity in poplar also complicates gene family identification and regulatory analysis. In this study, we used the Qu-1 doubled haploid cell line of P. simonii × P. nigra, a genetically homozygous poplar system, to characterize the NAC transcription factor (TF) family and investigate its response to ABA treatment. A total of 129 Qu-1-PsnNAC genes were identified and classified into 10 subgroups. Phylogenetic, structural, chromosomal, and collinearity analyses showed that these genes are evolutionarily conserved but structurally diverse. Promoter analysis detected abundant hormone and stress-related cis-acting elements, including 353 abscisic acid (ABA) responsive elements in 105 Qu-1-PsnNAC genes. Consistently, the enriched ACGT-core motif closely matched ABA-related bZIP motifs, including AREB3, ABF2, and ABI5, further linking Qu-1-PsnNAC promoters to ABA-responsive regulatory networks. Transcriptome analysis of Qu-1 suspension-cultured cells treated with 100 µM ABA at 0, 0.5, 4, 12, and 24h revealed progressive transcriptional reprogramming over time. Thirty-two Qu-1-PsnNAC genes were significantly upregulated at one or more treatment time points. Integrated analysis of weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) modules, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and promoter motif scanning suggested that a subset of Qu-1-PsnNACs and their predicted downstream genes may participate in ABA-responsive regulatory processes. Six key candidate genes were prioritized based on expression dynamics and network support. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmed that these genes were inducible by 100 µM ABA at six time points (0, 0.5, 4, 12, 24, and 48h) in buds, stems, leaves, and roots of wild-type (WT) P. simonii × P. nigra. Among them, Qu-1-PsnNAC41 and Qu-1-PsnNAC58 showed nuclear localization and transcriptional activation activity. This study provides the first systematic characterization of the NAC gene family in the Qu-1 doubled haploid poplar system and establishes a framework for identifying ABA-associated NAC regulators and putative downstream targets. These findings expand our understanding of NAC-mediated ABA responses in poplar and provide valuable genetic resources for stress-tolerance improvement in tree breeding.

Soil salinity and abscisic acid (ABA)-related signaling are major constraints affecting chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) productivity by promoting oxidative stress and aldehyde accumulation. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs), particularly members of the ALDH7 family, are involved in aldehyde detoxification and redox homeostasis under adverse conditions. However, the molecular characteristics, expression behavior, and structural features of ALDH7A1 in chickpea under salt and ABA treatments remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an integrative characterization of CaALDH7A1 through expression profiling, oxidative stress assays, comparative structural analyses, evolutionary assessment, and molecular docking. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses showed that CaALDH7A1 was induced in both chickpea genotypes under salt and ABA treatments, with a markedly stronger response in the tolerant genotype (Aksu) than in the susceptible genotype (Uzunlu). In Aksu, transcript accumulation peaked at approximately 4.0-fold under 100 mM NaCl, whereas Uzunlu showed a more gradual increase, reaching a maximum of about 2.4-fold under 150 mM NaCl. Overall, salinity was the primary driver of CaALDH7A1 induction, while ABA alone caused comparatively limited variation under non-saline conditions. This transcriptional pattern was accompanied by lower H₂O₂ accumulation and approximately 30-35% lower MDA levels in the tolerant genotype, indicating an association between stronger CaALDH7A1 responsiveness and reduced oxidative damage. Comparative analyses further showed that CaALDH7A1 retains conserved catalytic domains, motifs, and active-site residues across representative orthologs, while molecular docking with MDA and NAD⁺ revealed favorable predicted binding energies and conserved interaction profiles. Together, these findings indicate that CaALDH7A1 is a salt- and ABA-responsive gene in chickpea, with its induction being driven mainly by salinity and more strongly expressed in the tolerant genotype. The association of higher CaALDH7A1 expression with lower H₂O₂ and MDA levels supports a stress-related role for this gene in aldehyde metabolism and redox-associated responses. The integration of expression, physiological, structural, evolutionary, and docking analyses further suggests that CaALDH7A1 is a conserved stress-associated candidate that may contribute to salinity-related adaptation in chickpea.

This two-year field study (2022-2024) evaluated the efficacy of various application methods for titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) in mitigating water-deficit stress in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. cv. Dena). A split-plot design in a randomized complete block arrangement with three replications was employed. Main plots consisted of two irrigation regimes: normal (60mm evaporation) and deficit (120mm evaporation). Subplots included four TiO₂-NPs treatments: control, seed priming, soil application, and foliar spray. Physiological, biochemical, and yield parameters were assessed. Water deficit stress significantly reduced chlorophyll content, relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance, auxin (IAA), cytokinin (CK), root yield (RY), and sugar yield (SY), while increasing proline, abscisic acid (ABA), carotenoids, antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, APX), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Among the TiO₂-NPs application treatments, foliar application increased chlorophyll a content by 14.59% and 13.89%, SC by 2.89% and 11.30%, and SY by 26.33% and 32.89%, respectively, compared to the priming and soil application treatments. Under water deficit conditins the foliar application of TiO₂-NPs increased RWC by 5.23% and 16.44%, stomatal conductance by 3.80% and 14.03%, IAA by 8.26% and 31.27%, CK by 6.17% and 35.81%, CAT activity by 4.42% and 14.89%, SOD activity by 24.20% and 20.92%, APX activity by 9.45% and 48.64%, and RY by 23.59% and 22.21 respectively, compared to the priming and soil application treatments. It also reduced MDA content by 17.24% and 8.68%, respectively. The lowest Integrated Biomarker Response (IBRv2) was observed for the foliar spray of TiO₂-NPs treatment. The impact on RY (I value) was least negative with foliar application (I = -0.14) compared to the control (I = -2.46), and other treatments. For MDA, a significant increase under water deficit (I = 2.20 for control) was notably reduced with foliar application (I = -0.05), seed priming (I = 0.76), and soil application (I = 1.65). It is concluded that foliar application of TiO₂-NPs is the superior strategy for enhancing drought tolerance in sugar beet.

Plant growth regulation and responses to biotic and abiotic stress factors are mediated by phytohormones. Understanding the effects of the phytometabolome is essential for addressing future global agricultural and food sector challenges. Therefore, a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed to improve the ability to determine the concentrations of various phytohormones. Using only 20 mg of plant material, a total of 27 hormones from different classes, including 18 gibberellins, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, auxin, and jasmonates, can be analyzed in 10 min via the stable isotope dilution assay approach. Using a carbodiimide-hydrazine one-pot multifunctional chemical derivatization approach, the analytes can be detected with quantitation limits ranging from 0.04 to 29.9 nM. Application of the method to tomato, maize, and cress verified its applicability, thus enabling quantitative multiclass phytohormone profiling.

High-altitude environments impose a multifactorial stress matrix, including cold, intense UV-B radiation, hypoxia, and drought, which demand integrated adaptive responses. The genus Artemisia exhibits coordinated phenotypic, physiological, and metabolic adaptations to altitude, collectively termed the Altitudinal Stress Syndrome. While recent work has established that this syndrome emerges from integration across genomic, physiological, metabolic, and architectural levels, the regulatory mechanisms coordinating this multi-level integration remain undefined. This review synthesizes molecular evidence from Artemisia to construct a testable framework for the regulatory architecture underlying altitude adaptation. We organize the known components into three functionally distinct levels: signal transducers (reactive oxygen species, calcium, hormones) that convert physical stress into biochemical information; signal integrators (hormonal crosstalk nodes, photoreceptor pathways) where convergent inputs combine; and transcriptional regulators (bHLH, MYB, WRKY families) that execute genome-wide reprogramming. The artemisinin biosynthetic pathway provides a well-mapped case study, revealing how cold signals propagate through AabHLH112 and AaERF1 to biosynthetic genes, how UV-B signals are transduced via AaHY5 and AaGSW1, and how AabHLH113 integrates jasmonate and abscisic acid signals. Competitive dimerization among bHLH factors creates tunable regulatory nodes, whereas epigenetic modifications at AaPAL1 may stabilize adaptive states. We critically evaluate evidence for each connection, distinguishing direct biochemical validation, genetic evidence, and correlational observations. This framework generates specific hypotheses about network architecture testable via genetic, biochemical, and systems-level approaches. By building upon the systems-level foundation of Altitudinal Stress Syndrome, this review advances our understanding from descriptive cataloging to a mechanistic and predictive model of plant adaptation to extreme environments.