Gpi7 gene, encoding the catalytic subunit of GPI ethanolamine-phosphate (Etn-P) transferase II, is primarily involved in the synthesis, maturation, and sorting of GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs), thereby playing a crucial part in cell wall functions and host-pathogen interactions. This study aimed to investigate the role of Gpi7 (here designated CcGpi7) in Corynespora cassiicola, a devastating fungal pathogen causing leaf spot in cucumber and many other cash crops. We systematically identified and inventoried 138 GPI-APs in C. cassiicola, followed by a detailed structural characterization of the CcGpi7 protein that is strongly induced during infection. Homologous recombination was employed to construct a CcGpi7-deleted mutant (ΔCcGpi7) and its corresponding complementary strain (cCcGpi7). Compared with the wild type and cCcGpi7, deletion of CcGpi7 led to markedly reduced vegetative growth and conidia formation. The ΔCcGpi7 mutant displayed obvious defects in cell wall architecture, manifested as enhanced susceptibility to cell wall-perturbing agents and degrading enzymes. Under stress conditions, ΔCcGpi7 exhibited increased sensitivity to KCl but reduced sensitivity to sorbitol and H2O2. Pathogenicity assays revealed a dramatic attenuation in the virulence of ΔCcGpi7 on cucumber leaves, directly correlating with its impaired ability to form invasive hyphae. Transcriptome profiling identified a total of 3,604 differentially expressed genes in ΔCcGpi7, which were enriched in multiple processes including cellular growth and development, cell wall organization, sporulation, and unexpectedly, transcription and translation. Together, our findings demonstrate that CcGpi7 exerts pleotropic effects on vegetative growth, reproduction, cell wall integrity, and pathogenesis of C. cassiicola. This work lays a theoretical foundation for developing CcGpi7-targeted control strategies against cucumber target spot disease.

Cell polarity is important for maintaining cell structure and function. In S. pombe, after division, cells grow monopolarly from the old end, then transition to bipolar growth at a certain size when the new end activates. However, G1-arrested cells do not become bipolar despite continued growth, suggesting a role for the cell cycle in this process. To identify how the cell cycle impacts monopolar to bipolar transition, we performed high-throughput mRNA sequencing to detect differentially expressed genes in G1-arrested and G2-phase cells of the cell-cycle mutant cdc10-129. DESeq2 analysis identified 65 unique genes upregulated in G1 phase and 35 in G2 phase. Enrichment analysis shows that G1 phase cells upregulated the MAPK pheromone-response pathway, protein folding, rRNA processing, and heat-shock protein binding. G2 phase cells showed upregulation of plasma membrane maintenance and cell wall organization. In G2 phase cells, protein-protein interaction networks identified the cdc15-hob3-rho1-bgs1 hub, known to promote bipolar growth and regulate cell wall biogenesis. In G1 phase cells, the spk1-byr2-ste11 hub involved in pheromone-response and nutritional stress-dependent G1-arrest was identified. In agreement with these findings, we find that spk1Δ cells are precociously bipolar, indicating a role for this kinase in preventing bipolar growth. We hypothesize that bipolar growth in G2 cells requires a combination of factors that favor cell growth. In G2, stress response pathways are downregulated while anabolic pathways are upregulated enabling transition from monopolar to bipolar growth.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is widely recognized as a major risk factor affecting the security and quality of crop production. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a globally cultivated fruit that is susceptible to Cd stress. 24-Epibrassinolide (EBR), an active brassinosteroid, is essential for plant growth and abiotic stress responses. However, its protective role in watermelon under Cd stress remains unclear. This study elucidates the physiological and molecular processes underlying EBR-mediated alleviation of Cd toxicity in watermelon seedlings. The results showed that exogenous EBR application effectively mitigated Cd-induced growth inhibition through decreased Cd deposition, reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lowered membrane lipid peroxidation, and increased antioxidant capacity in watermelon leaves under Cd treatment. Transcriptome (RNA-Seq) analysis revealed that EBR triggered substantial reprogramming of gene expression patterns, identifying 530 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Cd + EBR co-treatment compared with Cd treatment alone, including 204 down-regulated genes and 326 up-regulated genes. These DEGs are vital for controlling several physiological processes, including phenylpropane metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, endoplasmic reticulum's protein production, cell wall organization, and others. Further physiological assays confirmed that EBR increased the activities of PAL and 4CL, the core enzymes driving phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, leading to a significant accumulation of total phenols and flavonoids. Together, the above results give concrete proof of the powerful functions of 24-EBR, acting as an enhancer of plant performance under Cd stress by enhancing the antioxidant system and by activating the phenylpropanoid pathway and its derived metabolic networks.

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are fungal pathogens that cause life-threatening infections, including cryptococcal meningitis. A distinctive feature of the cryptococcal cell wall is the extensive deacetylation of chitin to chitosan, a modification that is essential for virulence but whose structural role in cell-wall organization remains poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the cell walls of wild-type strains of both species and their avirulent chitosan-deficient mutants, which serve as vaccine candidates. Loss of chitosan disrupted cell morphology and altered cell-wall ultrastructure, with more pronounced defects in C. neoformans. Solid-state NMR revealed that aggregated α-1,3-glucans form the principal rigid domain of the cell wall in both species and are closely associated with chitin microfibrils, whereas surrounding β-glucans and mannoproteins constitute a more dynamic matrix. Chitosan modulates hydration and flexibility, and its loss increases chitin exposure and triggers species-specific remodeling of the polysaccharide network. In C. neoformans, chitosan depletion increased α-1,3-glucan content and reduced β-glucan levels, whereas C. gattii selectively lost one α-1,3-glucan subtype while maintaining β-glucan levels. Although capsule production remained intact, chitosan deficiency altered glucuronoxylomannan linkage patterns and mannoprotein composition. These findings reveal how chitosan organizes cryptococcal cell-wall architecture and highlight distinct structural adaptation strategies among pathogenic Cryptococcus species.

While L-tryptophan is a precursor of plant growth regulators, its effects on secondary metabolism, amino acid profile and cell wall organization in flax callus remain underexplored. This study aimed to optimize flax callus shaken cultures and evaluate the impact of L-tryptophan (0.1 mM and 1 mM) on structural properties of plant cell walls in tested callus using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The impact of L-tryptophan on callus proliferation and metabolism was also determined, because amino acids (among them L-tryptophan) can promote the growth of callus. The results showed that 1 mM L-tryptophan is an effective elicitor, which stimulates flax callus to accumulate larger amounts of bioactive compounds, especially carotenoids and polyphenols, than control callus cultured without L-tryptophan. A lower concentration of L-tryptophan (0.1 mM) slightly improved the level of determined secondary metabolites (except flavonoids). The effect of L-tryptophan on polymers in plant cell walls was investigated. The data confirm that the plant cell wall is a dynamic structure, capable of remodelling in response to growth conditions and external agents. L-tryptophan (0.1 and 1 mM) reduced cellulose levels and induced structural changes in cellulose compared to the untreated control. The structural analyses also suggested a decrease in lignin level and increase in pectin amounts in flax callus after tryptophan addition in comparison to control callus. The results may reflect the relationship between tryptophan and auxins (which are derived from tryptophan) and confirm the role of these metabolites in shaping the structure of the plant cell wall. In fact, an increase in tryptophan level was confirmed in flax callus in tested experimental conditions (supplementation of cultures with both doses of L-tryptophan). These findings have practical significance, because L-tryptophan is also used as a fertilizer or component of fertilizers in plant cultivation.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major cause of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients, where current antifungal therapies are limited by toxicity, drug resistance, and lack of durable protection, and no vaccines are available. A mutant lacking the sterylglucosidase-encoding gene (sglA) has emerged as a candidate that induces protective immune responses, but the structural basis for this phenotype remains unclear. Here, we use cellular solid-state NMR spectroscopy to compare the organization of the conidial cell wall in ΔsglA and its wild-type counterpart. The ΔsglA conidial cell wall displays extensive remodeling, including increased α-1,3-glucan content and structural polymorphism, strengthened interactions with β-glucans, reduced hydration, and restricted molecular motion, together consolidating a more rigid scaffold with limited β-glucan accessibility. These structural changes are associated with altered neutrophil responses and a shift in innate immune signaling. This work links cell-wall reorganization to altered immune recognition in this vaccine candidate, with implications for future immunotherapeutic strategies.

Plant secondary cell walls constitute the dominant reservoir of renewable biomass, comprising tightly packed cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin at the nanoscale. Recent advances in solid-state NMR spectroscopy and the availability of small-angle X-ray scattering for biomass characterization have led to an accumulation of experimental data on cell wall organization, yet no explicit structure model has simultaneously satisfied both X-ray and NMR observations. Using wheat straw as a model system, we propose a structural framework consistent with current knowledge of cellulose biosynthesis, X-ray scattering data, and one- and two-dimensional 13C solid-state NMR spectra. In this model, 18-chain elementary fibrils align in parallel and populate the cross-section at random. Arabinose-substituted xylan shows no conformational dependence for cellulose-binding in wheat, and only a minor fraction of 2-fold xylan appears in close proximity to cellulose, unlike in Arabidopsis, where xylan is more tightly attached to the cellulose surface. While NMR data cannot unambiguously resolve the internal arrangement of the 18 glucan chains, X-ray scattering profiles uniquely constrain the fibril size and exclude the possibility of tight bundling in the intact walls. The specific interaction between the matrix polymers and the cellulose elementary fibrils must be reconsidered in light of the small interfibril spaces, which bring the matrix components into spatial proximity with cellulose even in the absence of attractive interactions. These findings provide fundamental molecular-level insight into cellulose fibril architecture and matrix-polymer interactions, resolving longstanding discrepancies between spectroscopic and scattering data and advancing our understanding of biopolymer assembly into structurally and functionally versatile lignocellulosic biomaterials.

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) play a crucial role in lipid transport across membranes, contributing to cellular integrity and structural stability. These proteins are characterized by the presence of eight conserved cysteine residues that form four disulfide bonds and a hydrophobic cavity that is essential for lipid binding and transport. Interactions of nsLTPs with diverse ligands enable them to participate in key biological processes, including signal transduction, protein folding, membrane stabilization, and cell wall organization. Additionally, these proteins are integral to plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses and to developmental processes, including growth, germination, and flowering. The interaction between nsLTPs and plant signaling molecules activates regulatory networks that modulate stress-responsive gene expression, reinforcing plant resilience under adverse conditions. Despite their functional significance, the evolutionary trajectory, subcellular localization, and regulatory mechanisms governing nsLTP expression remain limited, as reflected in previous reviews on nsLTPs. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of nsLTP evolution, roles in plant defense and signaling, functional diversity, updated subcellular localization, and future research directions based on recent findings.

Plants have evolved intricate and sophisticated mechanisms to sense and respond to boron (B) stresses. Alterations to the cell wall and other molecular pathways are strategies that help plants adapt to B stresses by cross-linking with rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) to form borate-dimers. However, the molecular mechanism by which cell wall components and organization respond to B stresses is not fully understood in mulberry plants. This study, via conjoint transcriptomics-metabolomics and virus-induced gene silencing analyses, aimed to explore the diverse B stress response mechanisms and functionally characterize the role of MaXTH23 in cell wall remodeling in mulberry leaves subjected to different levels of B, ranging from deficiency (0mM; T1), sufficiency (0.1mM; control, CK), moderate deficiency (0.02mM; T2), toxicity (0.5 and 1.0mM as T3 and T4, respectively) and cultivated under greenhouse conditions. The analyses identified a total of 6114 and 441 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolites (DEMs), respectively, in the different KEGG pathways in the separate omics analysis for all treatments. However, our conjoint analysis identified 1120 DEGs associated with 78 DEMs and were significantly co-enriched in 96 different KEGG pathways. Meanwhile, the functional characterization via silencing of MaXTH23 did not nullify its function in cell wall modification and remodeling but concomitantly caused significant increases in total pectin and water-soluble pectin contents, quintessentially promoting pectin cross-linking in the cell wall. This study highlights a novel perspective for identifying and characterizing the regulatory functions of MaXTH23 and the B-induced pathways and tolerance mechanisms employed by mulberry plants.

Multi-omics analysis of gibberellin-induced internode elongation in Apocynum pictum Schrenk and preliminary investigation into the potential role of WRKY40.

Exogenous trehalose enhances heat tolerance in Ginkgo biloba by activating GbTPS1-mediated sugar and secondary metabolism pathways

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a globally paramount crop. Iranian landraces serve as a vital resource for enriching wheat gene banks worldwide, and deciphering the diversity in its genotypes is crucial for breeders. Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) and Diversity Array Technology (DArT) are two important platforms for generating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers. The integration of molecular marker data from different genotyping platforms is crucial for a comprehensive analysis of genetic variation in wheat germplasm. The aim of this study was to integrate and impute SNP markers derived from GBS and DArTseq platforms, and to employ the dataset for assessing the genetic diversity of Iranian bread wheat genotypes and for detecting selection signatures. This study integrated molecular marker data from two genotyping platforms (GBS and DArTseq) through imputation to enable a unified analysis of genetic diversity in bread wheat germplasm. We first imputed missing data for 357 Iranian bread wheat accessions genotyped via GBS. This process more than tripled the number of usable SNP markers obtained through GBS. Subsequently, we imputed markers for the remaining genotypes using a reference set of 90 accessions genotyped with DArTseq technology. These sequential imputation steps yielded a consolidated dataset of 46,876 high-quality GBS-derived SNP and 3,417 high-quality DArTseq-derived SNP markers. The results obtained from the two marker systems demonstrated a high degree of complementarity, effectively distinguishing cultivars from landraces. Furthermore, cluster analysis delineated the genotypes into three distinct groups. Furthermore, these markers were used to identify signatures of natural and artificial selection by detecting high Fst values. Our results showed that the genomic regions under selection, identified by SNPs contain genes involved in regulatory processes related to DNA transcription, cell wall organization, protein phosphorylation, and defense response to biotic stresses. These pathways are particularly significant in the differentiation of populations in response to environmental pressures. In contrast, genes associated with DArTseq-derived SNP markers were mainly involved in more general pathways such as transcription regulation and cell structure processes, which may indicate the lower sensitivity of this system in detecting directional selection. Nevertheless, the identification of distinct selection signatures by DArTseq-derived SNP markers underscores their complementary role in genomic studies. The presented framework enables effective integration of multi-platform marker data, enhancing genetic diversity assessment and revealing new selection signatures in wheat. The resulting imputed dataset forms a foundational resource for subsequent genome-wide association and genomic selection studies.

Microbial biodeterioration represents a major challenge in the conservation of photographic heritage, particularly silver gelatin prints. In this study, the antifungal efficacy of clove essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum) and selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) was evaluated separately against Aspergillus flavus. Both treatments significantly inhibited fungal growth and sporulation, with SeNPs showing superior activity at lower concentrations, while clove oil exhibited strong inhibition at higher doses. Computational analyses revealed distinct mechanisms: clove oil phytochemicals targeted ergosterol biosynthesis, cell wall organization, and lipid metabolism, whereas SeNPs induced oxidative stress and disrupted antioxidant defenses. This work provides the first integrated experimental and computational framework applying these eco-friendly agents directly to photographic materials, establishing a mechanistic basis for sustainable antifungal strategies in heritage preservation. KEY POINTS: • Clove oil and selenium nanoparticles effectively prevent fungal damage to photographs. • Different antifungal mechanisms were observed through computational analyses. • Provides a sustainable, eco-friendly strategy for cultural heritage preservation.

The plant cell wall provides structural support and serves as a barrier against pathogen invasion. Rice grassy stunt virus (RGSV) infection suppresses genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To further investigate this phenomenon, we generated transgenic rice lines overexpressing the RGSV-encoded p2 protein. These transgenic lines exhibited a brittle phenotype with reduced plant height, thinner sclerenchyma cell walls, decreased cellulose and increased lignin contents. Biochemical and microscopic analyses confirmed that mechanical strength of the cell wall was significantly weakened in p2-expressing plants. Notably, immunoblotting and in situ hybridization revealed partial localization of p2 to the cell wall, suggesting potential structural association. Transcriptome analysis revealed that p2 expression significantly altered the expression of genes involved in cell wall organization, hormone signaling, and pathogen interactions, suggesting a mechanistic basis for the observed phenotypes. Additionally, p2 transgenic lines exhibited increased susceptibility to multiple viruses, but unexpectedly showed enhanced resistance to the brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), a major phloem-feeding pest. These findings reveal that a single viral protein can remodel the cell wall to influence both pathogen susceptibility and insect resistance, highlighting the broader ecological impacts of virus-induced cell wall remodeling in plants.

This study demonstrates the use of photothermal AFM-IR and vibrational SFG microscopy to investigate nanoscale chemical heterogeneity and mesoscale cellulose microfibril orientation in hybrid poplar xylem, revealing differences in cellulose microfibril (CMF) orientation between fiber and vessel cell walls that are consistent with their mechanical supportand hydraulic functions. Understanding the structural organization of cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) within individual plant cell walls is essential for connecting cell wall architecture to its mechanical and physiological functions. However, due to the complex hierarchical structure and nanoscale heterogeneity of cell walls, it remains technically challenging to resolve detailed compositional and orientational information at subcellular levels of individual cell walls. This study investigates the internal 3D structure, chemical composition, and sublayer organization of fiber and vessel cell walls in the xylem tissue of a two-year-old field-grown hybrid poplar tree (Populus alba × P. glandulosa) using photothermal atomic force microscopy coupled with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and sum frequency generation (SFG) hyperspectral microscopy. AFM-IR provided nanoscale chemical imaging, revealing localized compositional heterogeneity, including variations between adjacent cell walls and transitional layers beyond the traditional S1, S2, and S3 sublayers. SFG microscopy revealed that CMFs in fiber walls are highly aligned along the stem axis, consistent with their role in mechanical support, while vessel cell walls exhibited slightly tilted CMFs, reflecting their function in hydraulic transport. Together, these results offer new insights into cell-type-specific CMF organization and compositional gradients in hybrid poplar xylem. These findings highlight the structural and chemical complexity of secondary cell walls in woody plants and demonstrate the value of AFM-IR and SFG spectroscopy in elucidating plant cell wall architecture.

Pecan is a tree nut crop native to the United States and Mexico, with a global market of over 2 billion USD. Nut size has been the most important target trait for crop improvement during the very limited breeding cycles. However, relatively little is known about the molecular basis of pecan nut ontogeny and the mechanisms underlying pecan nut sizing. Besides nut size, pecan fruit faces myriad physiological disorders throughout the growing season, making knowledge of essential genes at each growth stage a necessary first step in developing new cultivars and management practices to overcome these issues. To develop a deeper understanding of pecan fruit development and identify candidate genes underlying the large fruit phenotype, a time-course transcriptomic study of pecan fruit in two genotypes, ‘Mahan’ and ‘Tiny Tim’, was conducted. Weighted Gene-Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was employed to group transcripts into functional clusters, and hub transcripts were identified through module correlation analysis to select those that are potential drivers of these functional clusters. Modules related to cell wall biosynthesis, cell wall organization, and inositol metabolism in ‘Mahan’, and proteolysis and abscisic acid response in ‘Tiny Tim’ were found to be potentially associated with nut size.

Low-temperature stress significantly limits wheat growth and productivity. Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is an environmentally friendly green molecular material that plays an important role in plant growth and regulation; however, its protective mechanisms against cold stress in wheat remain poorly understood. In this study, the effect of γ-PGA on both chilling (4 °C) and freezing (-18 °C) resistance in wheat seedlings and its underlying mechanisms were comparatively studied. The results showed that the γ-PGA-treated seedlings exhibited a 128.81% higher survival rate after freezing stress and maintained significantly greater biomass accumulation under both stress conditions (62.44% and 26.56% higher dry weight under chilling and freezing stress, respectively). A physiological analysis revealed that γ-PGA enhanced osmoprotectant (proline and soluble sugars) accumulation and activated key antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and APX). Then, an RNA-seq analysis identified 11,401 and 7721 differentially expressed genes under chilling and freezing stress, respectively, with 3598 common genes constituting a core cold-response network. KEGG and GO analyses demonstrated significant enrichment in pathways related to carbon metabolism, glutathione metabolism, phenylpropanoid-flavonoid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and cell wall organization. Notably, γ-PGA strongly upregulated key genes in phenylpropanoid-flavonoid metabolism (TraesCS2B02G615000 and TraesCS2B02G624400), glutathione metabolism (TraesCS1B02G127900), and lipid metabolism (TraesCS1B02G018700). These results provide comprehensive molecular insights into γ-PGA-mediated cold tolerance and support its potential application in sustainable wheat production under low-temperature stress conditions.

Soil salinity is a pressing global issue that undermines agricultural productivity, driving the search for salt-tolerant species and their adaptive strategies. Taxodium mucronatum, a tenacious afforestation tree species, is known for its notable resistance to abiotic stresses. However, its molecular response to salt stress is still unknown. In this study, we explored the physiological and transcriptomic adaptations of T. mucronatum seedlings when exposed to different NaCl concentrations (0 ‰, CK; 3 ‰, LS; 5 ‰, MS; 7 ‰, HS). Through morphological and biochemical analyses, we identified a salinity threshold of 5 ‰. Beyond this threshold, severe leaf senescence and plant death were observed. In physiological profiling, the malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative conductivity (REL) showed dose-dependent increases. Meanwhile, osmoprotectants like proline (PRO), soluble sugar (SS), and soluble protein (SP), as well as antioxidant enzyme activities including peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were elevated. This indicates dynamic responses to osmotic and oxidative stress. Transcriptome sequencing revealed 3,858 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). GO and KEGG analyses showed that the commonly up-regulated genes were enriched in 'oxidoreductase activity' (GO:0016491) and 'phenylpropanoid biosynthesis' (ko00940), whereas down-regulated genes were enriched in 'cell-wall organization' (GO:0071554). Among the 421 differentially expressed transcription factors, ERF, WRKY and NAC families constituted 62% of the total, indicating their central role in the salt response. With Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), we first linked gene modules to physiological traits and found that the MEbrown (r = 0.67-0.99) positively and MEblue (r = -0.69 to -0.98) negatively drives osmoprotectant/antioxidant activation. From these modules, 12 hub genes -especially TCTP, ECI3, PGL3, OsI_15387, APF2, CYP73A4- were identified that coordinate stress adaptation via cell wall remodeling, energy metabolism, and redox homeostasis. This study offers the first in-depth analysis of salt tolerance mechanisms in T. mucronatum, revealing genotype-specific strategies to cope with ionic and osmotic stress. The findings enhance our molecular understanding of stress resilience in woody perennials and highlight the potential for ecological restoration of T. mucronatum in saline-alkali ecosystems.

Blossom-end rot (BER) in tomatoes is a physiological disorder primarily caused by the disruption of calcium absorption and transport. This study cultivated tomatoes using a trough-based vermiculite system. Two treatments were established: a calcium-deficient nutrient solution and a calcium-deficient nutrient solution supplemented with 0.1 mg/L BR (n = 40 plants per treatment). The activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), were measured in the leaves. Calcium ion content was also determined in various plant parts. Statistical analysis of differences was performed using Duncan’s multiple range test at a significance level of p < 0.01. Concurrently, transcriptome sequencing of root, stem, and leaf tissues was conducted via high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that foliar application of BR under calcium deficiency significantly reduced the incidence of BER (from 26.67% to 6.67%) and effectively increased calcium ion content in leaves, stems, and roots. At the physiological level, BR treatment markedly enhanced the activities of CAT, POD, and SOD in leaves (by 105.70%, 117.12%, and 82.77%, respectively), while reducing H2O2 and MDA contents (by 36.90% and 16.38%, respectively). This indicates that BR alleviates membrane lipid peroxidation damage by enhancing the antioxidant defense system. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were primarily involved in biological processes, such as secondary metabolic processes, response to oxygen-containing compounds, and cell wall organization. KEGG pathway analysis further indicated significant enrichment in pathways, including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and plant–pathogen interaction. Additionally, key genes, such as the cytochrome c oxidase (COX) gene (Solyc03g013460.1), exhibited a gradient up-regulation pattern (root > stem > leaf) in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. In conclusion, BR likely enhances tomato tolerance to calcium deficiency stress and effectively reduces BER incidence through multiple pathways: regulating calcium absorption and distribution, activating the antioxidant system, modulating hormone signaling pathways, and enhancing energy metabolism. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of BR in agricultural production.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) root system plays a critical role in water and nutrient uptake, influencing overall plant growth and crop yield. In this study, we characterized the Osdrp2b mutant, which exhibits a short-root phenotype and was identified through map-based cloning. The Osdrp2b mutation was traced to the gene encoding a dynamin-related protein, and the mutant displayed reduced cell elongation and impaired cell division in the root tip. Further analysis revealed that ROS (reactive oxygen species) accumulation was elevated in the mutant roots, and treatment with ROS inhibitors restored root elongation in the Osdrp2b mutant, indicating that altered ROS homeostasis is associated with the phenotype. Transcriptomic analysis highlighted the differential expression of genes involved in cell wall organization and hydrogen peroxide catabolism. Agronomic evaluations of the Osdrp2b mutant demonstrated compromised shoot growth, reduced tiller number, and lower seed setting rates, indicating the impact of the mutation on rice yield. Overall, these results suggest that OsDRP2B is involved in regulating root growth, potentially through effects on ROS homeostasis and associated signaling networks. These findings provide a basis for future studies on improving rice root development and agronomic performance.