Ethylenediurea Research Articles

Tropospheric ozone pollution: Implication for food security and crop nutrition in South Asia

The study was conducted on ambient ozone (O3), the most phyto-toxic air pollutant, and its effects on the growth and quality of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and peas (Pisum sativaum) grown in Northern Pakistan during the summer and winter of 2018. Okra was subjected to ambient O3 levels ranging from 43 to 63 ppb during the summer, with a mean O3 concentration of 55 ppb, while peas experienced lower winter concentrations of 15–25 ppb, with a mean O3 concentration of 19 ppb. The results indicated significant impacts on the growth and nutritional quality of crops, especially okra. Anti-ozonant ethylene diurea (EDU) was used for soil drenching to protect okra and green peas from O3 damage. Okra showed notable enhancements of 20%, 20%, 29%, and 13% in ash, protein, fiber, and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFE), respectively. Increase in plant height, leaf numbers, pod length, and dry weight was observed in EDU-treated okra plants. Conversely, peas exhibited less variation, although melioration was observed in plant height, pod numbers, length, and weight with EDU treatment. It was concluded that the concentration of ambient O3 in Peshawar is toxic enough to cause significant damage to crop growth and production. The stark difference in O3 impact during different seasons suggests that higher summer concentrations could severely compromise crop quality. This elicits significant concerns regarding food security in South Asia, especially for summer crops that can jeopardize future food security. It is recommended that further research be conducted on the effects of O3 on other regional crops to assess fully its implications for agricultural sustainability in the area.

Exogenous protectants alleviate ozone stress in Trifolium repens: Impacts on plant growth and endophytic fungi

Industrialization-driven surface ozone (O3) pollution significantly impairs plant growth. This study evaluates the effectiveness of exogenous protectants [3 mg L⁻1 abscisic acid (ABA), 400 mg L⁻1 ethylenediurea (EDU), and 80 mg L⁻1 spermidine (Spd)] on Trifolium repens subjected to O3 stress in open-top chambers, focusing on plant growth and dynamics of culturable endophytic fungal communities. Results indicate that O3 exposure adversely affects photosynthesis, reducing root biomass and altering root structure, which further impacts the ability of plant to absorb essential nutrients such as potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn). Conversely, the application of ABA, EDU, and Spd significantly enhanced total biomass and chlorophyll content in T. repens. Specifically, ABA and Spd significantly improved root length, root surface area, and root volume, while EDU effectively reduced leaves' malondialdehyde levels, indicating decreased oxidative stress. Moreover, ABA and Spd treatments significantly increased leaf endophytic fungal diversity, while root fungal abundance declined. The relative abundance of Alternaria in leaves was substantially reduced by these treatments, which correlated with enhanced chlorophyll content and photosynthesis. Concurrently, EDU and Spd treatments increased the abundance of Plectosphaerella, enhance the absorption of K, Ca, and Mg. In roots, ABA treatment increased the abundance of Paecilomyces, while Spd treatment enhanced the presence of Stemphylium, linked to improved nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and K uptake. These findings suggest that specific symbiotic fungi mitigate O3-induced stress by enhancing nutrient absorption, promoting growth. This study highlights the potential of exogenous protectants to enhance plant resilience against O3 pollution through modulating interactions with endophytic fungal communities.

Fluctuating ozone exposures caused trade-offs between vegetative growth and reproduction of two Chinese bean cultivars and ethylenediurea alleviated ozone phytotoxicities

Ozone (O3) pollution has elevated in China, threatening plants and crop production. Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a chemical alleviating O3-induced phytotoxicities. This study aimed at revealing fluctuating O3 exposures effects on Youxian No 3 (Phaseolus vulgaris) and Sukui No 4 (Vigna angularis), two widely grown Chinese bean cultivars, and EDU role in mediating these effects. Plants were periodically treated with EDU (400 mg/L) or water and exposed to charcoal-filtered air (CF) or non-filtered ambient air enriched with an additional targeted O3 concentration of 40 ppb (NF40) with subsequent ambient or NF40 exposures. A 10-day exposure to NF40 increased photosynthetic rate (A) while decreasing the leaf intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), but this effect was absent after moving plants to ambient air for two weeks. Moving previously CF-exposed plants to ambient air for two weeks also increased A, which was not linked with Ci but more related to stomatal conductance (gs). Following two one-week and two-week sequential exposures of all plants to NF40, with an intermediate exposure to ambient air, elevated O3 reduced chlorophylls (SPAD), A, gs, Ci, and transpiration and decoupled A-gs response. More O3 effects were observed in plants treated with NF40 during each O3-treatment cycle, compared to those exposed to CF during the first cycle. The former plants exhibited significantly decreased biomass and water content of leaves and stems but increased flowers biomass and water content. Some of the effects were cultivar-dependent, with Youxian showing more apparent trade-offs between vegetative growth and reproduction. EDU alleviated various negative O3 effects.

Ectomycorrhiza and ethylenediurea reduced the impact of high nitrogen and ozone stresses and increased the growth of Cedrus deodara

Cedrus deodara is the central conifer plant affected by ozone and nitrogen pollutants among forest species worldwide. The growth of C. deodara depends upon the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) association, which is usually disturbed by these factors. This study aims to understand how these factors affect plants at physiological and biochemical levels. Three fungal strain consortiums were inoculated with two-year-old C. deodara seedlings. The stresses of 100 kg N h−1and 100 ppb O3 were applied for six months to study their impact on chlorophyll and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and APX). The results showed that C2 (Consortium of Cedrus deodara) positively impacted the growth of selected plant species. The high photosynthesis rate was determined by enhanced chlorophyll content, and C2-treated plants showed high chlorophyll content. Relatively, chlorophyll a and b contents increased significantly in the seedlings treated with Ethylenediurea (EDU) alone and with ozone stress. In addition, a significant difference was observed between EDU and O3-treated plants (14% EDU400-O3 and 23% EDU600-O3) and the control. Overall, antioxidant activities were higher in the treated samples than in the control. The order of SOD activity was C2 (448 U/gFW) and lowest (354.7 U/gFW) in control. APX also showed higher activity in treated plants in C1 ≥ C2 ≥ C3+O3, whereas CAT activity was the highest in C2 treatments. Ozone and nitrogen-stressed plants showed higher activities than EDU-treated plants compared to non-treated ones. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the signaling effects of numerous precursors. Moreover, an extended investigation of seedlings developing into trees must be conducted to verify the potential of ectomycorrhizal strains associated with C. deodara and comprehend EDU's role as a direct molecular scavenger of reactive toxicants.

Ozone-induced oxidative stress alleviation by biogenic silver nanoparticles and ethylenediurea in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) under high ambient ozone.

Ground-level ozone (O3) is the most phytotoxic secondary air pollutant in the atmosphere, severely affecting crop yields worldwide. The role of nanoparticles (NP) in the alleviation of ozone-induced yield losses in crops is not known. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of biogenicB-AgNPs on the mitigation of ozone-induced phytotoxicity in mung bean and compared its results with ethylenediurea (EDU) for the first time. Two mung bean cultivars (Vigna radiata L., Cv. SML-668 and PDM-139) were foliar sprayed with weekly applications of B-AgNPs (0 = control, 10 and 25ppm) and EDU (0 = control, 200 and 300ppm) until maturation phase. Morphological, physiological, enzymatic, and non-enzymatic antioxidant data were collected 30 and 60days after germination (DAG). The mean O3 and AOT40 values (8hday-1) during the cultivation period were approximately 52ppb and 4.4ppm.h, respectively. More biomass was accumulated at the vegetative phase due to the impact of B-AgNPs and EDU, and more photosynthates were transported to the reproductive phase, increasing yield. We observed that the 10ppm B-AgNPs treatment had a more noticeable impact on yield parameters and lower Ag accumulation in seeds for both cultivars. Specifically, SML-668 cultivar treated with 10ppm B-AgNPs (SN1) showed greater increases in seed weight plant-1 (124.97%), hundred seed weight (33.45%), and harvest index (37.53%) in comparison to control. Our findings suggest that B-AgNPs can enhance growth, biomass, yield, and seed quality, and can improve mung bean ozone tolerance. Therefore, B-AgNPs may be a promising protectant for mung bean.

New Hybrid Ethylenediurea (EDU) Derivatives and Their Phytoactivity.

Natural and synthetic phytohormones are widely used in agriculture. The synthetic cytokinin ethylenediurea (EDU) induces protection in plants against ozone phytotoxicity. In our study, new hybrid derivatives of EDU were synthesized and tested for phytoactivity. The germination potential (Gp), germination of seeds (G), and relative water content in leaves (RWC), characterizing the drought resistance of plants, were determined. The results of laboratory studies showed that EDU and its hybrid derivatives have a positive effect on root length, the growth and development of shoots, as well as the ability of plants to tolerate stress caused by a lack of water.

Can ethylenediurea (EDU) alter the effects of ozone on the source-sink regulation of nitrogen uptake and remobilization during grain filling period in rice?

Increased surface ozone (O3) pollution seriously threatens crop production, and ethylenediurea (EDU) can alleviate crop yield reduction caused by O3. However, the reason for the decrease in grain nitrogen (N) accumulation caused by O3 and whether EDU serves as N fertilizer remain unclear. An experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of factorial combinations of O3 enrichment (ambient air plus 60 ppb) and EDU (foliage spray with 450 ppm solutions) on N concentration, accumulation and remobilization in hybrid rice seedlings. Compared to ambient condition, elevated O3 significantly inhibited the N accumulation in vegetative organs during anthesis and grain N accumulation during the maturity stage. Elevated O3 significantly decreased the total N accumulation during anthesis and maturity stages, with a greater impact at the latter stage. The decrease in grain N accumulation caused by O3 was attributed to a decrease in N remobilization of vegetative organs during the grain filling period as well as to a decrease in post-anthesis N uptake. However, there was no significant change in the proportion of N remobilization and N uptake in grain N accumulation. The inhibitory effect of O3 on N remobilization in the upper canopy leaves was greater than that in the lower canopy leaves. In addition, elevated O3 increased the N accumulation of panicles at the anthesis stage, mainly by resulting in earlier heading of rice. EDU only increased N accumulation at the maturity stage, which was mainly attributed to an increase in rice biomass by EDU. EDU had no significant effect on N concentration, N remobilization process, and N harvest index. The findings are helpful to better understand the utilization of N fertilizer by rice under O3 pollution, and can also provide a theoretical basis for sustainable nutrient management to alleviate the negative impact of O3 on crop yield and quality.

Evidence for tropospheric ozone effects on rice production in Bangladesh

Although Bangladesh is known to be burdened with elevated tropospheric ozone levels, little is known about its effects on food security. We conducted field experiments in four highly polluted rice growing environments of Bangladesh in three cropping seasons (2020−2022), in which we grew 20 different rice varieties with or without application of the ozone protectant ethylene diurea (EDU). The average daytime ozone concentrations at the study sites during the rice growing seasons ranged from 53 ppb to 84 ppb, with the lowest concentrations occurring in the year 2020. EDU increased rice grain yields significantly by an average of 10.4 % across all seasons and locations, indicating that plants were stressed under ambient ozone concentrations. EDU was effective in distinguishing ozone-tolerant from ozone-sensitive varieties, in which yield increased by up to 21 %. Likewise, the EDU treatment positively affected vegetation indices representing chlorophyll (NDVI), the chorophyll:carotenoid ratio (Lic2), and pigments of the xanthophyll cycle (PRI). Stomatal conductance was increased significantly by an average of around 10 % among all varieties when plants were treated with EDU. In all physiological traits, significant genotype by treatment interactions occurred, indicating that different varieties varied in their responses to ozone stress. Our study demonstrates that rice production in Bangladesh is severely affected by tropospheric ozone, and calls for the breeding of tolerant rice varieties as well as mitigation measures to reduce air pollution.

Protectants to ameliorate ozone-induced damage in crops – A possible solution for sustainable agriculture

Elevated levels of tropospheric ozone (O3) are phytotoxic, inhibiting plant growth and production, and thus, compromising environmental health and sustainable crop production. It is therefore critical to devise strategies to protect plants from the negative effects of O3. However, the efficacy of different chemical or non-chemical methods to protect plants against O3 toxicities has not been critically reviewed. Hence, this study aimed at comprehensively reviewing various methods of crop protection against O3 stress. Ethylenediurea (EDU) is the most investigated and efficient protectant in ameliorating O3-induced phytodamage. However, plant protectants (e.g. pesticides, fungicides), antitranspirants (e.g. di-1-p-menthene), antioxidants (e.g. ascorbic acid, diphenylamine), exogenously-applied plant hormones (e.g. ethylene, kinetin, abscisic acid), and nutrient management strategies (e.g. varied level of nitrogen fertilizers, application of calcium acetate) were also found to offer some protection against O3. Hence, more studies are needed to comprehensively explore the potential of these methods, individually and in different combinations. Biological mechanisms that underlie the ameliorative effect of the different methods are discussed along with relevance of the concept of hormesis. This assessment also acknowledges major information gaps and suggests future options for dealing with O3 pollution. New insights into the efficacy of additional protectants provide a new dimension to plant protection against O3-induced detrimental effects, and suggest that future research should use a green chemistry approach and an ‘one health’ perspective.

Soil Microbial Community Involved in Nitrogen Cycling in Rice Fields Treated with Antiozonant under Ambient Ozone.

Ethylenediurea (EDU) can effectively mitigate the crop yield loss caused by ozone (O3), a major, phytotoxic air pollutant. However, the relevant mechanisms are poorly understood, and the effect of EDU on soil ecosystems has not been comprehensively examined. In this study, a hybrid rice variety (Shenyou 63) was cultivated under ambient O3 and sprayed with 450 ppm EDU or water every 10 days. Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that EDU had no significant effect on the microbial abundance in either rhizospheric or bulk soils. By applying both metagenomic sequencing and the direct assembly of nitrogen (N)-cycling genes, EDU was found to decrease the abundance of functional genes related to nitrification and denitrification processes. Moreover, EDU increased the abundance of genes involved in N-fixing. Although the abundance of some functional genes did not change significantly, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and a principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) suggested that the microbial community structure involved in N cycling was altered by EDU. The relative abundances of nifH-and norB-harboring microbial genera in the rhizosphere responded differently to EDU, suggesting the existence of functional redundancy, which may play a key role in sustaining microbially mediated N-cycling under ambient O3. IMPORTANCE Ethylenediurea (EDU) is hitherto the most efficient phytoprotectant agent against O3 stress. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of its mode of action are not clear, and the effects of EDU on the environment are still unknown, limiting its large-scale application in agriculture. Due to its sensitivity to environmental changes, the microbial community can be used as an indicator to assess the environmental impacts of agricultural practices on soil quality. This study aimed to unravel the effects of EDU spray on the abundance, community structure, and ecological functions of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of rice plants. Our study provides a deep insight into the impact of EDU spray on microbial-mediated N cycling and the structure of N-cycling microbial communities. Our findings help to elucidate the mode of action of EDU in alleviating O3 stress in crops from the perspective of regulating the structure and function of the rhizospheric soil microbial community.

Ethylenediurea protects against ozone phytotoxicity not by adding nitrogen or controlling stomata in a stomata-unresponsive hybrid poplar

Ozone (O3) pollution is a persistent environmental issue worldwide, which causes widespread damage to vegetation, deteriorating plant health and reducing plant productivity. Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a synthetic chemical that has been widely applied in scientific studies as a protectant against O3 phytotoxicities. Despite four decades of active research, the exact mechanisms to explain its mode of action remain unclear. Here, we aimed to reveal whether EDU's phytoprotective property is due to its control over stomatal regulation and/or its action as a nitrogen (N) fertilizer, utilizing stomatal-unresponsive plants of a hybrid poplar (Populus koreana × trichocarpa cv. Peace) grown in a free-air O3-concenctration enrichment (FACE) facility. Plants were treated with water (WAT), EDU (400 mg L−1), or EDU's constitutive amount of N every nine days, and exposed to ambient (AOZ) or elevated (EOZ) O3 during a growing season (June–September). EOZ led to extensive foliar injuries (but protected against rust disease), lower photosynthetic rate (A), impaired dynamics of responses of A to changes in light intensity, and smaller total plant leaf area. EDU protected against common phytotoxicities caused by EOZ without inducing stomatal closure, since stomatal conductance (gs) was generally unresponsive to the experimental treatments. EDU also modulated the dynamic response of A to light fluctuations under O3 stress. N addition acted as a fertilizer but did not satisfactorily protect plants against O3 phytotoxicities. The results suggest that EDU protects against O3 phytotoxicity not by adding N or controlling stomata, which provides a new insight into our understanding of the mode of action of EDU as a protectant against O3 phytotoxicity.

Efficiency of protectants in alleviating ozone stress on rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.)

Tropical countries like India, as a result of increased greenhouse gases like tropospheric ozone (O3), are concerned about a loss of agricultural output and food security. As a result, adopting a new method to protect crops against ozone is a must. The most efficient protectant is ethylene diurea (EDU), which is often used by researchers, however, the effectiveness of other protectants remains still unexplored. Hence, this study aims in screening the potential protectants in alleviating the ozone stress (100 ppb) in O3 sensitive rice cultivar in open top chambers. The protectants used includes neem coated urea (NCU), ascorbic acid (AsA), calcium acetate (CaAc), panchagavya, neem oil, pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) and ethylene diurea (EDU). Results indicate that besides EDU, NCU and AsA were highly effective in mitigating O3 stress and were on par with each other. The application of protectants significantly improved the physiological, growth, and yield attributes; while, the malondialdehyde and proline content declined. The effect of protectants was relatively higher in O3 – sensitive cultivar. . The growth and yield traits were observed to be higher in EDU > NCU, AsA > CaAc > Panchagavya > Neem oil > PPFM. In O3 – sensitive cultivar, application of 300 ppm EDU, 1% NCU, and 1% AsA decreased the malondialdehyde content by 26.82, 26.92 and 27.47%, and proline by 18.64, 17.88 and 14.33%, respectively. Similarly, the application of 300 ppm EDU, 1% NCU and 1% AsA improved the number of spikelets per panicle by 69.09, 63.64 and 58.15% and the number of filled spikelets per panicle by 95.97, 95.35 and 93.02%, respectively. The present study concludes that NCU and AsA are the best alternatives to EDU for protecting plants against ozone stress.

Sensitivity of agricultural crops to tropospheric ozone: a review of Indian researches.

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a long-range transboundary secondary air pollutant, causing significant damage to agricultural crops worldwide. There are substantial spatial variations in O3 concentration in different areas of India due to seasonal and geographical variations. The Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region is one of the most crop productive and air-polluted regions in India. The concentration of tropospheric O3 over the IGP is increasing by 6-7.2% per decade. The annual trend of increase is 0.4 ± 0.25% year-1 over the Northeastern IGP. High O3 concentrations were reported during the summer, while they were at their minimum during the monsoon months. To explore future potential impacts of O3 on major crop plants, the responses of different crops grown under ambient and elevated O3 concentrations were compared. The studies clearly showed that O3 is an important stress factor, negatively affecting the yield of crops. In this review, we have discussed yield losses in agricultural crops due to rising O3 pollution and variations in O3 sensitivity among cultivars and species. The use of ethylene diurea (EDU) as a research tool in assessing the losses in yield under ambient and elevated O3 levels also discussed. Besides, an overview of interactive effects of O3 and nitrogen on crop productivity has been included. Several recommendations are made for future research and policy development on rising concentration of O3 in India.

Ethylenediurea reduces grain chalkiness in hybrid rice cultivars under ambient levels of surface ozone in China.

High concentration of tropospheric ozone (O3) causes crop yield losses, which could be reduced by foliar application of ethylenediurea (EDU). Rice grain appearance is a major quality trait that determines the milling quality, white rice productivity and the market value. Grain chalkiness is one of the common defects that deteriorate the grain appearance in rice due to its negative effects on palatability and milling yield. Whether EDU could reduce grain chalkiness in rice which was usually increased by high concentration of O3 is not clarified. We report the grain chalkiness in 19 rice cultivars (CVs) of three types: indica (6 CVs), japonica (5 CVs) and hybrids (8 CVs), observed in an EDU application experiment in the field in China. The ambient O3 level as expressed by accumulated hourly O3 concentration over the threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40) for 80 days until maturity reached 12.8 ppm h at a near-by monitoring station. Fraction of the chalky grains (FCG) in the hybrid cultivars was 8% lower in EDU than that in the control treatments, whereas no significant effect of EDU on FCG was found in japonica or indica cultivars. The reduction of FCG due to EDU treatment in hybrid cultivars was attributed to the significant reduction of milky white grains followed by that of white belly grains. Thus, the application of EDU could ameliorate the decline of grain appearance quality in hybrid rice by decreasing the FCG and enhancing the fraction of perfect grains (FPG). Moreover, there were significant interactions between the EDU application and rice cultivars, indicating varietal difference in the protection of grain appearance quality by EDU. These results suggest the need for further studies on the mechanisms of the effects of EDU on grain chalkiness.

Ethylenediurea Reduces Grain Nitrogen but Enhances Protein and Carbon Yield in Rice Cultivars

Ethylenediurea (EDU) is an indicator of surface ozone (O3), has a high potential to be developed as an applicable protectant for crops against O3 phytotoxicity. Studies on the effects of EDU on grain quality are few, limiting evaluation of the efficiency of EDU protection. In order to understand the effects of EDU on grain quality in rice, a field study was conducted in a rice paddy, where EDU solutions were foliar applied to rice plants. At maturity, grain nitrogen concentrations (GN) in 21 rice cultivars and related traits were analyzed. Mean across 21 cultivars, GN was reduced by EDU by 3.81%, suggesting that O3 in ambient air is affecting grain quality. GN negatively correlated with grain weight and source/sink ratio, but positively correlated with spikelet density. Moreover, GN changes to EDU were rice type dependent, which were −0.43%, −0.72%, and 1.19% in indica, japonica, and hybrid rice, respectively. These results suggest that EDU promotes sink in rice, which helps to increase grain yield, but allocation of nitrogen is not enough to maintain GN in both indica and japonica cultivars. Rice types and cultivars’ variations in the responses of GN to EDU highlight a possibility to adjust grain quality by EDU, combining cultivar selection and agricultural management in response to surface O3 pollution.

Effectiveness of ethylene diurea in ameliorating ozone stress in blackgram varieties (Vigna mungo L.)

ABSTRACT Tropospheric ozone, a phytotoxic air pollutant, has inadvertently increased since industrial era and its effect on agricultural crops has gained urgent scientific attention. The present study aims to evaluate the response of blackgram varieties (Vigna mungo L.) exposed to elevated ozone stress (100 ppb) with antiozonant (Ethylene diurea at 300 ppm). The study was conducted during two seasons and the effectiveness of ethylene diurea (EDU) was explored in terms of plant physiology, biochemistry, antioxidant enzymes, growth, yield and spectral reflectance of blackgram varieties. Ethylene diurea ameliorates the ozone stress by increasing photosynthetic rate by 40.78 and 37.21% in season I and 43.03 and 35.77% in season II for VBN3 and VBN8, respectively, and antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase by 24.31 and 19.42% in season I and 22.59 and 18.59% in season II for VBN3 and VBN8, respectively. The growth indices and yield traits were significantly increased with the application of EDU and the effect was more pronounced in sensitive cultivar (VBN3) compared to the tolerant (VBN8) one. Spectral reflectance, a non-destructive study, further validates the effect of tropospheric ozone on blackgram varieties. Newly identified spectral indices [R566, R573], and [R564, R586] demonstrated the greatest potential in detecting ozone sensitivity of blackgram varieties.

Ethylenediurea (EDU) mediated protection from ambient ozone-induced oxidative stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under a high CO2 environment

A FACE (Free Air Concentration Enrichment) study was conducted with ethylenediurea (EDU; 200 ppm) on two wheat cultivars (PBW-154, WH-1105) in high ambient ozone (AO3) stress under ambient CO2 (ACO2) and elevated CO2 (ECO2; 550 ppm). During the study period, AO3, ACO2, and ECO2 concentrations were 63 ppb, 413.69 ppm, and 553.54 ppm, respectively. Mean O3 and AOT40 concentrations were high enough to induce oxidative stress in plants. EDU treatment enhanced wheat biomass and yield under ECO2. Under ECO2, EDU-treated PBW-154 and WH-1105 showed increased photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, grain weight plant−1, grain no plant−1, and 1000 grain weight, compared to EDU-treated cultivars grown under ACO2. EDU-treated wheat showed less lipid peroxidation, high levels of antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes under ambient and ECO2 conditons. EDU significantly increased biomass (at flowering phase), antioxidant activities (at both vegetative and flowering phases), and yield in WH-1105 cultivar in comparison to EDU-treated PBW-154 under ACO2. WH-1105 cultivar was found to be more sensitive to O3. Improved growth, grain yield, and grain nutrient attributes of wheat with EDU under ECO2 environment showed that prevailing ambient O3 levels are already causing yield losses and will continue to do so in future high CO2 environment also. ECO2 negatively impacted grain nutrients in both wheat cultivars. EDU mitigated the deleterious impact of high ambient ozone-induced oxidative stress in the wheat crop grown in ECO2 environment. Further, EDU also alleviated both the negative impacts of high ambient O3 stress on grains and ECO2-caused decline in grain nutrient content in wheat.

Tropospheric ozone effect on yield, quality and antioxidant defence of six cultivars of jute with ethylene diurea in the lower Gangetic Plains of India

Tropospheric ozone effect on yield, quality and antioxidant defence of six cultivars of jute with ethylene diurea in the lower Gangetic Plains of India

Assessing the impact of current tropospheric ozone on yield loss and antioxidant defense of six cultivars of rice using ethylenediurea in the lower Gangetic Plains of India.

Climate change influences the current tropospheric ozone (O3) budget due to industrialization and urbanization processes. In recent years, the impact of elevated O3 on crop development and yield loss has emerged as one of the most important environmental issues, particularly in rural and suburban areas of the lower Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The impact of the current tropospheric ozone (O3) on the crop yield, photosynthetic yield, and enzymatic antioxidants of six rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (IR 36, MTU 1010, GB 3, Khitish, IET 4786, and Ganga Kaveri) was investigated with and without the application of ethylenediurea (EDU). The results revealed that O3 stress significantly affected crop yield, photosynthetic yield, and antioxidant enzymes. The findings showed that O3 toxicity induces oxidative stress biomarkers, i.e., malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and was manifested by increasing the enzymatic antioxidants, i.e., superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in four rice cultivars (IR 36, GB 3, IET 4786, and Ganga Kaveri). At the same time, the results also illustrated that the rice cultivars MTU 1010 and Khitish are more tolerant to O3 stress as they had less oxidative damage, greater photosynthetic SPAD value, SOD and CAT activities, and lower MDA activity. The results also elucidated that the application of EDU decreased O3 toxicity in sensitive cultivars of rice by increasing antioxidant defense systems. The current O3 level is likely to show an additional increase in the near future, and the use of tolerant genotypes of rice may reduce the negative impacts of O3 on rice production.

Tripartite motif-containing 54 promotes gastric cancer progression by upregulating K63-linked ubiquitination of filamin C.

Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins have been proved to contribute to cancer progression, while whether tripartite motif-containing 54 (TRIM54) could functionally influence gastric cancer (GC) progression remains elusive. The expression level of TRIM54 and filamin C (FLNC) in GC was determined by Western blot and online database. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay and Ethylenediurea (EdU) staining were performed to explore the effects of TRIM54 on GC cell proliferation. Transwell assay and wound healing assay were applied to detect the influence of TRIM54 on GC cell migration and invasion. Bioinformatics analysis and Co-immunoprecipitation assay (Co-Ip), Ubiquitination assay and Half-life assay were involved to explore the regulatory mechanism of TRIM54 on FLNC. TRIM54 was upregulated in GC tissues and cells, and a higher expression level of TRIM54 indicated a shorter overall survival of GC patients. The overexpression of TRIM54 significantly enhanced proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells, and inhibition of TRIM54 expression exerted reverse effects on GC cells. Mechanistically, TRIM54 was determined as a post-translational mediator of FLNC, and TRIM54 was co-immunoprecipitated with FLNC and degraded its protein level via K63-linked ubiquitination of FLNC. Notably, FLNC efficiently inhibited GC progression by TRIM54 overexpression. Collectively, our findings suggested that the TRIM54/FLNC axis could be considered as a potential prognostic biomarker for GC.