Stress Conditions Research Articles

Role of Quaternary Aminoacid Derivatives and Ion Homeostasis in Amelioration of Salinity Stress

Salinity is a detriment to plant production throughout the world. Salinity impacts the quality of irrigation water. Understanding salt stress in plants necessitates complex physiological and metabolic stages. Preserving turgescent cells and regulating the water potential to maintain a proper water balance among the key responsibilities of osmoprotectants, long-term, high salt doses can slow down plant growth and development by interfering with physiological processes like nutrient imbalance, membrane damage, enzyme inhibition and metabolic dysfunctions like photosynthesis, hormone production and ion homeostasis, all of which can result in plant death. Hyperionic and hyperosmotic stress are also caused by prolonged, high salt doses. Osmolytes (such as proline and glycine betaine) accumulate under different salt levels, antioxidant enzyme activities increase and eventually some of the negative effects of NaCl toxicity on plants are mitigated. Plants under salt stress may have higher concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide radicals (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Ion homeostasis is crucial for plants during abiotic stress conditions.

Misconception of ‘Malignant’ and ‘Scissor-like Compression’ of Interarterial Course in Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery: A Case Series

Abstract Background The notion that the “interarterial” segment of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) is ‘malignant’ and ‘scissor-like’ compressed between the aorta and pulmonary artery (PA) is debated, owing to the lower pressure in the pulmonary system compared to that in the coronary system. However, data supporting or refuting this belief under stress conditions are lacking. Case presentation Three cases of right (R)-AAOCA with interarterial/intramural courses (52, 66, 51y/o) were assessed. Invasively measured Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) under dobutamine was 0.85, 0.82 and 0.81, respectively. Intravascular ultrasound illustrated lateral vessel compression of the intramural course with a decrease of minimal lumen area (MLA) (i.e. 5.71mm2 to 3.47mm2, 5.88mm2 to 4.00mm2 and 5.85mm2 to 4.06mm2) under stress conditions with heart rates of 130, 140 and 150/min respectively. Pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) increased from rest [s/d(m) 22/11(15), 15/2 (5), 24/6(14)mmHg, to stress s/d(m) 47/24(36), 30/3(11), 36/22(24)mmHg], and remained below aortic peak pressure (BP) rest [s/d(m) 116/64(91), 94/48(71), 99/53(62)mmHg]; BP stress [s/d(m) 142/63(80), 123/63(88), 86/46(62)mmHg]; and coronary pressure (CoP) rest [s/d(m) 100/59(80), 80/45(62), 83/47(63)mmHg]; CoP stress [s/d(m) 95/60(69),101/54 (72), 70/32(50)mmHg]. Conclusion This case series challenges the assumption that the interarterial segment of AAOCA is scissor-like compressed by both the aorta and PA. The decrease in MLA and FFR under stress is due to the aorta’s unidirectional lateral compression on the intramural segment. Additionally, the term ‘malignant’ should not be universally applied to all AAOCA cases with an interarterial course, as not all result in hemodynamic significance.

Strain‐Modulated Hydrogen Production Performance in Monolayer MoS2 Electrocatalysis Nanodevices

AbstractThe integration of flexible micro‐ and nanodevices plays a pivotal role in investigating stress‐enhanced performances and underlying intrinsic mechanisms for two‐dimensional materials. This study presents the fabrication of single‐crystal flexible devices using monolayer MoS2 and its catalytic activities for the hydrogen evolution reaction under stress conditions. A metallic conductive layer was deposited on the photoresist surface via magnetron sputtering, overcoming the challenges associated with lithography on insulating substrates using electron beam lithography (EBL). The results demonstrate optimal etch patterns with a metal modification layer thickness of 10.97 nm. Leveraging this flexible device fabrication process, a single‐layer MoS2 single‐nanosheet flexible micro/nano device was developed and subsequently strain‐modulated (stretched along the zigzag lattice direction with the armchair lattice direction as the axis). A significant enhancement is observed in the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance as the strain increases from 0 % to 0.40 %. Notably, the onset overpotential decreased from 155.6 to 95.7 mV, and the Tafel slope decreased from 175.3 to 98.6 mV dec−1. This study provides new insights into the design and performance of strain devices for two‐dimensional (2D) monocrystalline/polycrystalline materials.

Silicon: A Powerful Aid for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants against Abiotic and Biotic Stresses for Sustainable Agriculture

Silicon plays a crucial role in enhancing plant tolerance to various abiotic and biotic stresses, including drought, salinity, heavy metals, and pathogen/pest attacks. Its application has shown promising results in improving stress tolerance and productivity in medicinal plants. This review synthesizes findings from numerous studies investigating the mechanisms by which silicon confers stress tolerance, including the regulation of antioxidant systems, water relations, nutrient homeostasis, phytohormone signaling, and stress-responsive gene expression. Additionally, it examines the effects of silicon supplementation on the production of valuable secondary metabolites and essential oils in medicinal plants. Silicon application can significantly mitigate stress-induced damage in plants, including medicinally important species such as borage, honeysuckle, licorice, Damask rose, savory, basil, and eucalyptus. The deposition of silicon in cell walls provides physical reinforcement and acts as a barrier against pathogen invasion and insect herbivory. Furthermore, silicon fertilization can enhance the production of valuable secondary metabolites in medicinal crops under stress conditions. The findings underscore the potential of silicon fertilization as a sustainable strategy for improving the productivity and quality of medicinal crops under changing environmental conditions, highlighting the need for further research to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying silicon-mediated stress tolerance and practical applications in medicinal plant cultivation.

A Multipurpose Metallophore and Its Copper Complexes with Diverse Catalytic Antioxidant Properties to Deal with Metal and Oxidative Stress Disorders: A Combined Experimental, Theoretical, and In Vitro Study.

We report the discovery that the molecule 1-(pyridin-2-ylmethylamino)propan-2-ol (HL) can reduce oxidative stress in neuronal C6 glioma cells exposed to reactive oxygen species (O2-•, H2O2, and •OH) and metal (Cu+) stress conditions. Furthermore, its association with Cu2+ generates [Cu(HL)Cl2] (1) and [Cu(HL)2](ClO4)2 (2) complexes that also exhibit antioxidant properties. Potentiometric titration data show that HL can coordinate to Cu2+ in 1:1 and 1:2 Cu2+:ligand ratios, which was confirmed by monocrystal X-ray studies. The subsequent ultraviolet-visible, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments show that they can decompose a variety of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Kinetic studies revealed that 1 and 2 mimic the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Complex 1 promotes the fastest decomposition of H2O2 (kobs = 2.32 × 107 M-1 s-1), efficiently dismutases the superoxide anion (kcat = 3.08 × 107 M-1 s-1), and scavenges the hydroxyl radical (RSA50 = 25.7 × 10-6 M). Density functional theory calculations support the formation of dinuclear Cu-peroxide and mononuclear Cu-superoxide species in the reactions of [Cu(HL)Cl2] with H2O2 and O2•-, respectively. Furthermore, both 1 and 2 also reduce the oxidative stress of neuronal glioma C6 cells exposed to different ROS, including O2•- and •OH.

Impact of high temperature and drought stress on the microbial community in wolf spiders

High temperatures and drought present significant abiotic challenges that can limit the survival of many arthropods, including wolf spiders, which are ectothermic and play a crucial role in controlling pest populations. However, the impact of these stress factors on the microbiota of spiders remains poorly understood. In this study, we utilized 16 S rRNA gene sequencing to explore the diversity and composition of bacterial communities within Pardosa pseudoannulata under conditions of high temperature and drought stress. We found that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the predominant bacterial phyla present. Analyses of alpha diversity indicated an increase in bacterial diversity under combined stress conditions, as reflected by various diversity indices such as Ace, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson. Furthermore, co-occurrence network analysis highlighted intricate interactions among the microbial taxa (e.g., Enterobacter, Chitinophaga, and Eubacterium), revealing the adaptive complexity of the spider's microbiome to environmental stress. Functional prediction analysis suggested that combined stress conditions might enhance key metabolic pathways, particularly those related to oxidative phosphorylation and amino acid metabolism. Using Random Forest analysis, we determined that changes in three heat shock proteins were largely attributed to variations in bacterial communities, with Firmicutes being notably influential. Collectively, this in-depth analysis offers novel insights into the responses of microbial communities within spider microbiomes to combined abiotic stresses, providing valuable information for understanding extreme climate impacts and informing ecological management strategies.

Parent and professional perspectives on implementing the Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy: A mixed-methods analysis.

Factors influencing the implementation of parent-mediated intervention are insufficiently studied. This study examines for the first-time factors of implementation into clinical practice across the world of Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy, an internationally disseminated, evidence-based, parent-mediated therapy. From both the parents' and the professionals' perspectives, parents attitudes (e.g. self-reflection abilities and videotaping management) and life-circumstances (e.g. stressed families condition and time) were central factors. In this type of therapy, the target is a child's development; still, this improvement is dependent on the parent's behavior when interacting with their child. What's more, Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy method (video reflection, empowerment of parent, play-based) was enabler according to most of the parents. And more, most professionals report factors linked to the Implementation Process that is planning, execution, reflection and assessment in implementation of a new therapy. Indeed, the professionals underlined barriers related to the population seen in practice, flexibility of schedule, support from colleagues and manager. All these factors could be improved and addressed with a formal implementation plan including factors related to the parents of each country.

Genetic Evaluation of Heterosis and Combining Ability of Quality Protein Maize (Zea mays L.) Hybrids under Terminal Heat Stress Conditions

Background: The development of quality protein maize (QPM) hybrids tolerant to terminal stress environments has been an essential strategy for reducing the associated loss in grain yield. A study by Badu-Apraku et al., (2019) employed line × tester analysis in QPM breeding, highlighting its efficacy in selecting QPM hybrids. While QPM varieties resistant to disease, drought and environmental stresses have been developed conventionally, the adoption of improved QPM genotypes in farmers’ field is restricted mainly due to lack of proper team effort among maize breeders, farmers, agricultural extension workers and other relevant stakeholders. Methods: In line × tester mating design, six lines and three testers were crossed under heat stress environment and 18 F1s along with parental lines were evaluated along with check varietal during summer season, 2023, P.G research farm, CUTM, Paralakhemudi, Odisha. The objective of the current study was to evaluate parental lines and its crosses based on combining ability and heterosis. Result: ANOVA revealed significant to revealed significant differences for all the traits between parents, lines, testers and lines vs testers, except for cob height, chlorophyll content and canopy temperature. 𝛔2GCA/𝛔2SCA values for parents/hybrids recorded lower than unity for all the trait studied suggesting preponderance of non-additive gene action. Parental lines CML149, CML143 and CML330 are the best general combiners for early flowering, grain yield per plant and antioxidant status. Among eighteen crosses, two hybrids CML149 × CML330 and CML143 × CML193 recorded significant SCA effects for early flowering, grain yield per plant and antioxidant levels. Hybrids CML149 × CML330 (33.31%) and CML143 × CML193 (28.31%) noted significant standard heterosis for grain yield per plant over commercial check, HQPM-1. Hybrids CML149 × CML330 and CML143 × CML193 were resilient to terminal heat stress as they didn’t exhibit signs of leaf firing, tassel blast, root lodging and loss of yield.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase gene family related to bacterial wilt resistance in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

The E3 enzyme in the UPS pathway is a crucial factor for inhibiting substrate specificity. In Solanaceae, the U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase has a complex relationship with plant growth and development, and plays a pivotal role in responding to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The analysis of the U-box gene family in Solanaceae and its expression profile under different stresses holds significant implications. A total of 116 tobacco NtU-boxs and 56 eggplant SmU-boxs were identified based on their respective genome sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of U-box genes in tobacco, eggplant, tomato, Arabidopsis, pepper, and potato revealed five distinct subgroups (I-V). Gene structure and protein motifs analysis found a high degree of conservation in both exon/intron organization and protein motifs among tobacco and eggplant U-box genes especially the members within the same subfamily. A total of 15 pairs of segmental duplication and 1 gene pair of tandem duplication were identified in tobacco based on the analysis of gene duplication events, while 10 pairs of segmental duplication in eggplant. It is speculated that segmental duplication events are the primary driver for the expansion of the U-box gene family in both tobacco and eggplant. The promoters of NtU-box and SmU-box genes contained cis-regulatory elements associated with cellular development, phytohormones, environment stress, and photoresponsive elements. Transcriptomic data analysis shows that the expression levels of the tobacco and eggplant U-box genes in different tissues and various abiotic stress conditions. Using cultivar Hongda of tobacco and cultivar Yanzhi of eggplant as materials, qRT-PCR analysis has revealed that 15 selected NtU-box genes and 8 SmU-box may play important roles in response to pathogen Ras invasion both in tobacco and eggplant.

Effectiveness of local isolates of Trichoderma spp. in imparting drought tolerance in rice, Oryza sativa

Rice is a crop that requires high amount of water, and the drought is a major constraint in paddy cultivation. Water stress condition frequently prevails due to shortage of rain which results in significantly reduced plant growth and yield of rice. In the present study capability of Trichoderma spp. in imparting drought tolerance to rice, Oryza sativa was explored. Eleven local strains of Trichoderma spp. were applied to rice cv. Swarna Sub-1 through soil application (2 g/kg soil) and seed treatment (20 g/kg seed) under 0, 25, 50 and 75% less watering of the recommended amount. The soil application of T. harzianum AMUTHZ84 significantly promoted the shoot and root length (23.6 and 21.3%) followed by seed treatment (19.7 and 18.2%) under recommended level of irrigation condition (100% irrigation). Next in effectiveness was T. viride AMUTVR73 (21.5 and 18.1%) over untreated control. However, under 75% water availability, soil application with T. harzianum AMUTHZ82 was found superior over other isolates in enhancing shoot and root length (17.7 and 16.4%). The same isolate was also recorded to be superior under 50% (12.4 and 10.1%) and 25% water availability (9.3 and 8.1%) in enhancing the plant growth and biomass of rice cv. Swarna Sub-1. The isolate also significantly enhanced the leaf pigments, and photosynthesis in the rice plants grown under 25–75% water stress condition. In general, soil application of Trichoderma isolates was found more effective than seed treatment, and the T. harzianum AMUTHZ82 provided 8–17% enhancement in the plant growth, biomass, leaf pigments and photosynthesis of rice cv. Swarna Sub-1 grown under 25–75% water stress condition.

Lipidomics in Plants Under Abiotic Stress Conditions: An Overview

Lipids are ubiquitous macromolecules that play essential roles in several metabolic processes in plants, such as primary and secondary metabolism, energy storage, and lipid signaling, also being major constituents of membranes. Considering their importance, lipid contents, proportion, and composition are widely modulated in response to environmental conditions, which is even more important under unfavorable conditions such as abiotic stresses. In recent years, technological advances have allowed for the analysis of the global lipid profile, also known as lipidomics, which has emerged as a powerful tool for the comprehensive analysis of the modulation and roles of lipids under different conditions. This review provides a current overview of plant lipidomics research, covering the different lipid classes found in plants, analytical techniques, and the main lipid-related responses under temperature, water, salt, alkali, heavy metal, nutrient deficiency, light, and oxidative stress.

Identification of Drought Tolerant Chickpea Genotypes under Simulated Drought

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important legume crops worldwide, with high protein content. Chickpea productivity is highly threatened by abiotic stresses, of which drought exerts the most crucial role in terms of growth inhibition and yield losses encountered. Since germination is a critical stage that is negatively affected by drought, an experiment was conducted to estimate the genotypic variability among 27 chickpea genotypes and to determine the seed germination and seedling growth ability under water stress conditions. Seeds were subjected to water stress by using polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) at five stress levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 % PEG). Among the genotype DIBG 205 (94.50%) recorded highest germination percentage compared to other genotypes. Root length recorded was highest in ICCV 4958 (18.48 cm) under 10% PEG -6000 and decreased with increase in osmotic stress. Drought significantly affected germination as well as all other associated traits with the effects of stress being analogous to the stress level applied. Seedling vigour index is a suitable selection criterion for drought tolerance, high seedling vigour index was observed in DIBG 205 and ICCV 4958 showing increased drought tolerance at high stress level, whereas low seedling vigour index was recorded in ICCV 201217 and ICCV 201116 indicating their possible exploitation as valuable genetic material for further breeding programs for drought tolerance.

Effects of In-Situ Stress on Damage and Fractal during Cutting Blasting Excavation

Blasting excavation of rock masses under high in-situ stress often encounters difficulties in rock fragmentation and a high boulder rate. To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, the stress distribution of rock masses under dynamic and static loads was first studied through theoretical analysis. Then, the ANSYS/LS-DYNA software was employed to simulate the blasting crack propagation in rock masses under various in-situ stress conditions. The fractal dimension was introduced to quantitatively analyze the influence of in-situ stress on the distribution of blasting cracks. The results indicate that in-situ stress primarily affects crack propagation in the later stages of the explosion, while crack initiation and propagation in the early stages are mainly driven by the explosion load. In-situ stress significantly influences the damage area and fractal dimension of cut blasting. Under hydrostatic in-situ stress, as the in-situ stress increases, the damage area and fractal dimension of blasting cracks gradually decrease. Under non-hydrostatic in-situ stress, when the principal stress difference is small, in-situ stress promotes the damage area and fractal dimension of the surrounding rock, enhancing rock fragmentation. However, when the principal stress difference is large, in-situ stress inhibits the damage area and fractal dimension of the surrounding rock, hindering effective rock breaking.

Identification of Plant Compounds with Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI)

The presence and localization of plant metabolites are indicative of physiological processes, e.g., under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Further, the chemical composition of plant parts is related to their quality as food or for medicinal applications. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has become a popular analytical technique for exploring and visualizing the spatial distribution of plant molecules within a tissue. This review provides a summary of mass spectrometry methods used for mapping and identifying metabolites in plant tissues. We present the benefits and the disadvantages of both vacuum and ambient ionization methods, considering direct and indirect approaches. Finally, we discuss the current limitations in annotating and identifying molecules and perspectives for future investigations.

The effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungal species Funneliformis mosseae and biochar against Verticillium dahliae in pepper plants under salt stress

AbstractBoth biotic and abiotic stress factors play an important role in reducing the growth and productivity of many crops. In this study, the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and biochar (Bc) were investigated against Verticillium dahliae (Vd) disease in pepper plants grown under salt stress. These effects were evaluated on enzyme activities, salt tolerance, disease severity, plant growth and physiological characteristics. In this study, pepper was treated with 2% biochar, Funneliformis mosseae (Fm), Vd and different concentrations of salt (0 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM). The interaction of Fm and 2% Bc significantly increased the morphological parameters of the plant and the plant tolerated salt and Vd under combined high stress conditions of biotic (Vd) and abiotic (salt) stresses. It was also shown that Fm had a different effect than Bc on the membrane injury index (MII; %) and had a significant effect on leaf relative water content (LRWC; %). In addition, Vd increased mycorrhizal reliance, with the higher spore density of AMF higher disease severity observed in treatments involving Fm and Fm + Bc. Furthermore, phenol and antioxidant values were altered in Vd treatments, while Fm decreased CAT enzyme activation. Therefore, this study supports that AMF + biochar used in sustainable agriculture increases plant resistance to the soil pathogen (V. dahliae) and the salt stresses.

Ionic liquid-assisted sample preparation mediates sensitive proteomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis spores

Endospore-forming bacteria are ubiquitous. Bacterial endospores are multilayered proteinaceous structures that protects the bacterial genome during stress conditions. They are also responsible for a wide range of critical clinical infections in humans. Precise analysis of spore-forming pathogens remains a major challenge in the field of proteomics because spore structures are highly resistant to conventional solubilizers and denaturing agents, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate and urea. We present an ionic liquid-assisted (i-soln) technique of sample preparation, called pTRUST, which enables shotgun analysis of Bacillus subtilis spores even when the starting materials are in the sub-microgram range. In proteomic analysis, this technique shows 50–2000-fold higher sensitivity than other conventional gel-based or gel-free methods (including one-pot sample processing). Using this technique, we identified 445 proteins with high confidence from trace amounts of highly pure spore preparations, including 52 of the 79 proteins (approximately 70%) previously demonstrated to be localized in spores in the SubtiWiki database and detected through direct protein analysis. Consequently, 393 additional proteins were identified as candidates for spore constitutive proteins. Twenty of these newly identified candidates were produced as green fluorescent protein fusion proteins, and each was evaluated for authenticity as a spore constituent using fluorescence microscopy analysis. The pTRUST method's sensitivity and reliability using the i-soln system, together with hitherto unreported proteins in spores, will enable an array of spore research for biological and clinical applications.

HaloTag as a substrate-based macroautophagy reporter

Macroautophagy is a conserved cellular degradation pathway that, upon upregulation, confers resilience toward various stress conditions, including protection against proteotoxicity associated with neurodegenerative diseases, leading to cell survival. Monitoring autophagy regulation in living cells is important to understand its role in physiology and pathology, which remains challenging. Here, we report that when HaloTag is expressed within a cell of interest and reacts with tetramethylrhodamine (TMR; its ligand attached to a fluorophore), the rate of fluorescent TMR-HaloTag conjugate accumulation in autophagosomes and lysosomes, observed by fluorescence microscopy, reflects the rate of autophagy. Notably, we found that TMR-HaloTag conjugates were mainly degraded by the proteasome (~95%) under basal conditions, while lysosomal degradation (~10% upon pharmacological autophagy activation) was slow and incomplete, forming a degraded product that remained fluorescent within a SDS-PAGE gel, in agreement with previous reports that HaloTag is resistant to lysosomal degradation when fused to proteins of interest. Autophagy activation is distinguished from autophagy inhibition by the increased production of the degraded TMR-HaloTag band relative to the full-length TMR-HaloTag band as assessed by SDS-PAGE and by a faster rate of TMR-HaloTag conjugate lysosomal puncta accumulation as observed by fluorescence microscopy. Pharmacological proteasome inhibition leads to accumulation of TMR-HaloTag in lysosomes, indicating possible cross talk between autophagy and proteasomal degradation.

Mechanisms underlying reproductive responses of Japanese quails to heat stress conditions.

Exposure to heat stress can cause a significant increase in the death rate and disease susceptibility of poultry birds, ultimately impacting the profitability of the poultry industry. Despite being a more economical choice, Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) are not immune to the harmful effects of heat stress. Quails may experience negative effects on their reproductive performance due to excessive reactive molecules caused by heat stress. However, they have developed various mechanisms to maintain their reproductive abilities in such conditions. The neuroendocrine system in birds plays a vital role in regulating their reproductive responses to thermal stress, and it is also connected to other environmental factors such as photoperiod that can impact their reproductive performance. Hormones are crucial in the complex interactions necessary for sexual maturation and reproductive responses to heat stress in Japanese quails living in stressful thermal conditions.

A cystathionine beta-synthase domain containing protein, OsCBSCBS4, interacts with OsSnRK1A and OsPKG and functions in abiotic stress tolerance in rice.

The Cystathionine-β-Synthase (CBS) domain-containing proteins (CDCPs) constitute a functionally diverse protein superfamily, sharing an evolutionary conserved CBS domain either in pair or quad. Rice genome (Oryza sativa subsp. indica) encodes 42 CDCPs; their functions remain largely unexplored. This study examines OsCBSCBS4, a quadruple CBS domain containing protein towards its role in regulating the abiotic stress tolerance in rice. Gene expression analyses revealed upregulation of OsCBSCBS4 in response to diverse abiotic stresses. Further, the cytoplasm-localised OsCBSCBS4 showed interaction with two different kinases, a cytoplasmic localised cGMP-dependant protein kinase (OsPKG) and the nucleo-cytoplasmic catalytic subunit of sucrose-nonfermentation 1-related protein kinase 1 (OsSnRK1A). The interaction with the latter assisted in trafficking of OsCBSCBS4 to the nucleus as well. Overexpression of OsCBSCBS4 in rice resulted in enhanced tolerance to drought and salinity stress, via maintaining better physiological parameters and antioxidant activity. Additionally, OsCBSCBS4-overexpressing rice plants exhibited reduced yield penalty under stress conditions. The in silico docking and in vitro binding analyses of OsCBSCBS4 with ATP suggest its involvement in cellular energy balance. Overall, this study provides novel insight into the unexplored functions of OsCBSCBS4 and demonstrates it as a new promising target for augmenting crop resilience.

Theoretical investigation of threshold pressure gradient in hydrate-bearing clayey-silty sediments under combined stress and local thermal stimulation conditions

Due to the characteristics of smaller grain size and higher clay mineral content, the threshold pressure gradient (TPG) exists in multi-phase flow within hydrate-bearing clayey-silty sediments (HBCSS), which significantly affects the gas production from hydrate reservoirs. However, multi-phase flow through HBCSS relates to thermal-hydrological-mechanical coupling, leading to the understanding of TPG in HBCSS with complex pore structures and hydrate distribution is unclear. In this study, a theoretical TPG model of HBCSS is developed by considering the combined influences of effective stress, temperature increase, pore structures, hydrate saturation and its growth patterns. The proposed TPG model has been thoroughly validated using available experimental data. Moreover, the parameter sensitivity analysis is conducted based on this derived model, revealing a positive correlation between TPG and both effective stress and temperature increase. While TPG generally increases with higher hydrate saturation when other parameters are held constant, the relationship between TPG and hydrate saturation is non-monotonic. This observation suggests that TPG is impacted not only by hydrate saturation but also by other factors, including hydrate growth patterns and pore structures. The findings of this study establish a theoretical foundation for characterizing the nonlinear flow behavior during hydrate exploitation.