Peanut Plants Research Articles

Arachis mottle-associated virus, a new polerovirus infecting Pinto peanut.

A new polerovirus, named "arachis mottle-associated virus" (ArMoV), was identified by high-throughput sequencing in a Pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi) plant. The genome sequence was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and contains 5775 nucleotides and seven predicted open reading frames (ORFs), showing a typical polerovirus genome structure. All of the proteins encoded by ArMoV showed less than 90% amino acid sequence identity to those of other poleroviruses, the threshold to establish a new species in the genus. Phylogenetic analysis based on P1-P2 fusion protein and coat protein amino acid sequences showed that tobacco polerovirus 1 and chickpea chlorotic stunt virus, respectively, were the most closely related to ArMoV. These data suggest that ArMoV is a member of a new species of the genus Polerovirus, for which the binomial name "Polerovirus ARMOV " is proposed.

Improving Peanut (Arachis hyphogaea L.) Productivity by Optimizing Nitrogen and Potassium Fertilization

Due to their high nutritious, peanuts (Arachis hyphogaea L.) are a popular kind among consumers. For growth and productivity, peanut plants need vital nutrients including N, P, K, Ca, Mg and K. P is especially necessary for the development of blooms, pods, and seeds. A 2 × 4 factorial design was employed in the study, and it was repeated three times. Factor II consists of P fertilizers (SP36: 36 % P2O5), specifically 0, 50, 100, and 150 kg P2O5/ha. Factor I sources of N are NO3- (potassium nitrate) and NH4+ (ammonium sulfate). The criteria that were observed were the amount of chlorophyll in the fifth leaf from the tip of the plant, NR activity, yield of the peanut pod, height of the peanut plant, and biomass of the peanut. The nitrogen source treatment has a major impact on ANR levels, yield, plant height, and chlorophyll. There is a greater interaction when using nitrate as a N fertilizer. Higher P2O5 NR yields, P up to 150 kg, Chlorophyll, height of peanut plants, peanut biomass, and yield of peanut pods are observed. Similarly, increased application of N fertilizer (ammonium, P up to 150 kg P2O5) results in higher NR yields. Height of the peanut plants, biomass, yield of the peanut pods, and chlorophyll.

Peanut-Colonized Piriformospora indica Enhanced Drought Tolerance by Modulating the Enzymes and Expression of Drought-Related Genes.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important cash and oil seed crop, mostly distributed in arid and semi-arid areas. In recent years, due to the influence of atmospheric circulation anomalies and other factors, drought has become frequent and increasingly serious in China. This has posed serious challenges to peanut production. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of the endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica to form a symbiotic relationship with peanut plants and to evaluate the drought tolerance of P. indica-colonized peanut plants subjected to a simulated drought stress treatment using 20% polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000). The endophytic fungus P. indica affected the physiological characteristics of the host plant by colonizing the plant roots, thereby conferring greater resistance to drought stress. This fungus strongly colonized the roots of peanuts and was found to enhance root activity after 24 h of P. indica colonization under PEG6000. Catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities were increased at 24 h in peanut leaves colonized with P. indica. Expression of drought-related genes, such as AhNCED1, AhP5CS, and DREB2A was upregulated at 24 h of P. indica colonization. In addition, after PEG6000 treatment, proline, soluble protein, and abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations in plants were increased, while the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was decreased in P. indica colonized peanut. In conclusion, P. indica mediated peanut plant protection against the detrimental effects of drought resulted from enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and the upregulated expression of drought-related genes for lower membrane damage.

Genome-Wide Identification of the Peanut ASR Gene Family and Its Expression Analysis under Abiotic Stress.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most important oil and food legume crops worldwide. ASR (abscisic acid, stress, ripening) plays extremely important roles in plant growth and development, fruit ripening, pollen development, and stress. Here, six ASR genes were identified in peanut. Structural and conserved motif analyses were performed to identify common ABA/WDS structural domains. The vast majority of ASR genes encoded acidic proteins, all of which are hydrophilic proteins and localized on mitochondria and nucleus, respectively. The cis-element analysis revealed that some cis-regulatory elements were related to peanut growth and development, hormone, and stress response. Under normal growth conditions, AhASR4 and AhASR5 were expressed in all tissues of peanut plants. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results indicated that peanut ASR genes exhibited complex expression patterns in response to abiotic stress. Notably, under drought and cadmium (Cd) stress, the expression levels of AhASR4 and AhASR5 were significantly upregulated, suggesting that these genes may play a crucial role in the peanut plant's resistance to such stressors. These results provide a theoretical basis for studying the evolution, expression, and function of the peanut ASR gene family and will provide valuable information in the identification and screening of genes for peanut stress tolerance breeding.

Ocimum gratissimum mediated green synthesised iron oxide nanoparticles as a plausible nanofertilizer for peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea)

Exploring the potential of iron/iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) to act as fertilizer is an area of immense interest. This paper reports the green synthesis of IONPs using aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaves and its characterization with XRD, HRTEM and FTIR. This environmentally benign route avoids hazardous and toxic chemicals commonly employed in nanoparticle synthesis. The IONPs formed (Fe2O3) are stabilized by the phenolic and aromatic compounds found in the aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum and are of small crystallite size (5–30 nm). Peanut seedlings treated with these IONPs exhibited a superior growth performance at lower application rates (100 mg L−1), as evidenced by better growth parameters, which also corroborated with gibberellic acid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. The differential activity of green synthesized IONPs, highlighted in this study, compared to already reported chemically synthesized IONPs, reveals their functional superiority.

Screening the characteristic hyperspectral wavelength variables of peanut leaves based on coupled algorithms to predict SPAD value in peanut

ABSTRACT The accurate acquisition and prediction of the chlorophyll content in peanuts can provide reference for scientifically sound planting and management of peanut crops. In this study, peanut canopy leaves analysed during the flowering and pegging period were taken as the research object, and the spectral data collected by a portable hyperspectral spectrometer were used as the data source to study the inversion model of peanut leaf soil and plant analyser development (SPAD). To address the issues of randomness, the need for multiple iterations, and strong subjectivity in threshold selection in the initial variable set of the random frog (RF) algorithm, an improved RF algorithm was developed based on the sparse group lasso tool. By analysing and comparing the results of variable extraction of the improved RF algorithm and six characteristic wavelength screening algorithms, three algorithms were selected for pairwise coupling. These six algorithms were the correlation coefficient method (CC), successive projections algorithm, iteratively retains informative variables (IRIV), uninformative variable elimination (UVE), competitive adaptive reweighed sampling, and a genetic algorithm. The results show that: (1) the results of CC, UVE, and IRIV algorithms are better in a single algorithm experiment; and (2) in the coupled algorithms experiment, CC-UVE, CC-IRIV, and UVE-IRIV methods can effectively reduce dimensions, and the model has a certain level of stability. Among them, the UVE-IRIV-Extreme gradient boosting model had the highest accuracy, R 2 = 0.652, RMSE = 1.867, and the variable compression rate was as high as 97.84%. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for rapid and accurate monitoring of the SPAD values of peanut leaves.

Fine-mapping of a QTL and identification of candidate genes associated with the lateral branch angle of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) on chromosome B05.

Peanuts play a crucial role as an oil crop, serving not only as a primary source of edible oil but also offering ample protein and vitamins for human consumption. The lateral branch angle of peanuts is the angle between the main stem and the first pair of lateral branches, which is an important agronomic trait of peanuts, significantly impacts the peg penetration into the soil, plant growth, and pod yield. It is closely intertwined with planting density, cultivation techniques, and mechanized harvesting methods. Therefore, the lateral branch angle holds substantial importance in enhancing peanut yield and facilitating mechanization. In order to conduct in-depth research on the lateral branch angle of peanuts, this research is grounded in the QTL mapping findings, specifically focusing on the QTL qGH associated with the lateral branch angle of peanuts located on chromosome B05 (142610834-146688220). By using Jihua 5 and PZ42 for backcrossing, a BC1F2 population comprising 8000 individual plants was established. Molecular markers were then developed to screen the offspring plants, recombine individual plants, conduct fine mapping. he results showed that using the phenotype and genotype of 464 recombinant individual plants selected from 8000 offspring, narrow down the localization interval to 48kb, and designate it as qLBA. The gene Arahy.C4FM6Y, responsible for the F-Box protein, was identified within qLBA through screening. Real-time quantitative detection of Arahy.C4FM6Y was carried out using M130 and Jihua 5, revealing that the expression level of Arahy.C4FM6Y at the junction of the main stem and the first lateral branch of peanuts was lower in M130 compared to Jihua 5 during the growth period of the first lateral branch from 1 to 10 centimeters. Consequently, Arahy.C4FM6Y emerges as a gene that restrains the increase in the angle of the first lateral branch in peanuts. This investigation offers novel genetic reservoirs for peanut plant type breeding and furnishes a theoretical foundation for molecular marker-assisted peanut breeding.

Genome-Wide Analysis Elucidates the Roles of AhLBD Genes in Different Abiotic Stresses and Growth and Development Stages in the Peanut (Arachis hypogea L.).

The lateral organ boundaries domain (LBD) genes, as the plant-specific transcription factor family, play a crucial role in controlling plant architecture and stress tolerance. However, the functions of AhLBD genes in the peanut plant (Arachis hypogea L.) remain unclear. In this study, 73 AhLBDs were identified in the peanut plant and divided into three groups by phylogenetic tree analysis. Gene structure and conserved protein motif analysis supported the evolutionary conservation of AhLBDs. Tandem and segment duplications contributed to the expansion of AhLBDs. The evolutionary relationship analysis of LBD gene family between A. hypogaea and four other species indicated that the peanut plant had a close relationship with the soybean plant. AhLBDs played a very important role in response to growth and development as well as abiotic stress. Furthermore, gene expression profiling and real-time quantitative qRT-PCR analysis showed that AhLBD16, AhLBD33, AhLBD67, and AhLBD72 were candidate genes for salt stress, while AhLBD24, AhLBD33, AhLBD35, AhLBD52, AhLBD67, and AhLBD71 were candidate genes for drought stress. Our subcellular localization experiment revealed that AhLBD24, AhLBD33, AhLBD67, and AhLBD71 were located in the nucleus. Heterologous overexpression of AhLBD33 and AhLBD67 in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced tolerance to salt stress. Our results provide a theoretical basis and candidate genes for studying the molecular mechanism for abiotic stress in the peanut plant.

Knockdown of Adenosine 5'-Triphosphate-Dependent Caseinolytic Protease Proteolytic Subunit 6 Enhances Aluminum Tolerance in Peanut Plants (Arachis hypogea L.).

Aluminum (Al3+) toxicity in acidic soils reduces root growth and can lead to a considerable reduction in peanut plants (Arachis hypogea L.). The caseinolytic protease (Clp) system plays the key role in abiotic stress response. However, it is still unknown whether it is involved in peanut response to Al3+ stress. The results from this study showed that Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent caseinolytic protease proteolytic subunit 6 (AhClpP6) in peanut plants was involved in the Al3 stress response through its effects on leaf photosynthesis. The AhClpP6 expression levels in the leaf and stem significantly increased with the Al3+ treatment times. Knockdown AhClpP6 peanut lines accumulated significantly more Al3+ when exposed to Al3+ stress, which reduced leaf photosynthesis. Furthermore, in response to Al3+ treatment, knockdown of AhClpP6 resulted in a flattened shape of chloroplasts, disordered and flattened thylakoid, and accumulating more starch grains than those of the wild-type (WT) peanut lines. Taken together, our results suggest that AhClpP6 regulates Al3+ tolerance by maintaining chloroplast integrity and enhancing photosynthesis.

Seed priming with graphene oxide improves salinity tolerance and increases productivity of peanut through modulating multiple physiological processes

Graphene oxide (GO), beyond its specialized industrial applications, is rapidly gaining prominence as a nanomaterial for modern agriculture. However, its specific effects on seed priming for salinity tolerance and yield formation in crops remain elusive. Under both pot-grown and field-grown conditions, this study combined physiological indices with transcriptomics and metabolomics to investigate how GO affects seed germination, seedling salinity tolerance, and peanut pod yield. Peanut seeds were firstly treated with 400 mg L⁻¹ GO (termed GO priming). At seed germination stage, GO-primed seeds exhibited higher germination rate and percentage of seeds with radicals breaking through the testa. Meanwhile, omics analyses revealed significant enrichment in pathways associated with carbon and nitrogen metabolisms in GO-primed seeds. At seedling stage, GO priming contributed to strengthening plant growth, enhancing photosynthesis, maintaining the integrity of plasma membrane, and promoting the nutrient accumulation in peanut seedlings under 200 mM NaCl stress. Moreover, GO priming increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, along with reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to salinity stress. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) of peanut seedlings under GO priming were mainly related to photosynthesis, phytohormones, antioxidant system, and carbon and nitrogen metabolisms in response to soil salinity. At maturity, GO priming showed an average increase in peanut pod yield by 12.91% compared with non-primed control. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that GO plays distinguish roles in enhancing seed germination, mitigating salinity stress, and boosting pod yield in peanut plants via modulating multiple physiological processes.

Prohexadione calcium applications increase peanut peg strength

AbstractProhexadione calcium is a growth regulator, which manages excessive vine growth in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) by reducing shoot internode length. To test the effect of prohexadione calcium on peanut, a field experiment was conducted at the West Florida Research and Education Center in Jay, FL, during 2021 and 2022. The objective was to determine peanut response at different rates (untreated control, 70, 105, 140, and 175 g a.i. ha−1 of prohexadione calcium). Data were collected on yield, peg strength, above‐ and belowground biomass, plant height, and total sound mature kernels. Additionally, return on investment for prohexadione calcium application was also calculated. Prohexadione calcium application resulted in significant reduction of peanut plant height. The application rate of 105 g a.i. ha−1 resulted in significantly greater normalized difference vegetation index as compared to untreated control. Belowground, aboveground, and total biomass did not significantly differ between the 140 g a.i. ha−1 rate and untreated control. However, peanut peg strength increased significantly at the 140 g a.i. ha−1 treatment compared to the untreated control. Peanut yield ranged from 6.65 to 7.15 Mg ha−1 among different treatments; however, the differences among treatments were not significant. Similarly, the total sound mature kernels and return on investment did not differ significantly under different prohexadione calcium treatments. Considering that peanut response to prohexadione calcium is difficult to observe in small plots, it is important to test the effect of prohexadione calcium on peanut production under on‐farm large plot conditions.

Impacts of Soil Compaction and Phosphorus Levels on the Dynamics of Phosphate-Solubilizing and Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria in the Peanut Rhizosphere

Soil properties, including soil compaction and the nutrient content, influence the composition and functions of rhizosphere microbial communities. There is limited information on how soil compaction and phosphorus application affect phosphate-solubilizing (PSB) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB). This study aimed to examine the responses of PSB and NFB in the rhizosphere of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plants under varying soil compaction and phosphorus application levels. To address this, pot experiments were conducted to assess the composition and assembly processes of rhizosphere PSB and NFB in peanut cultivar Hua Yu 22 under two soil compaction levels (T1, 1.25 g/cm3 compaction, and T2, 1.00 g/cm3 compaction) and two phosphorus (P) levels (P0, no P applied, and P1, 1.2 mM P/kg soil applied). The results showed that PSB community shifts were closely correlated with the content of soil available phosphorus, soil acid phosphatase activity, soil nitrogenase activity, and soil compaction. Additionally, the content of soil available phosphorus and soil compaction were correlated with changes in operational taxonomic units of NFB. A network analysis revealed that the complexities of PSB were significantly higher than those of NFB. A stronger negative relationship was identified among NFB communities. The assembly of PSB communities was primarily driven by drift processes, whereas NFB communities were influenced by a combination of homogenizing selection and drift. Both PSB and NFB community compositions were significantly affected by phosphorus limitations and soil compaction. These findings enhance our understanding of the impacts of soil compaction and phosphorus application on PSB and NFB communities, with implications for optimizing peanut crop production. Our results will provide reference for crop cultivation in compacted and low-phosphorus soils. The important phosphate-solubilizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria screened in the interaction network in this study will become candidate microbial agents for alleviating soil compaction and low phosphorus levels.

Increasing the Growth and Production of Peanut Plants (Arachis hypogaea L.) by applying Bokashi and Liquid Organic Fertilizer from Vegetable Waste

Importance of using organic fertilizers to sustainably improve agricultural productivity, especially in low-fertility soils, is crucial. Peanuts (Arachis hypogea L.), a high-economic-value crop, require appropriate fertilization to support optimal yields. Bokashi fertilizer and liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) from vegetable waste have the potential to enhance soil fertility, microbial diversity, and crop yields. This study aims to evaluate the effects of Bokashi and LOF applications on peanut yield and soil quality. The method used is a randomized block design (RBD) with two treatment factors. The results showed that the application of Bokashi and LOF significantly increased the number of pods, seed weight, and peanut production per hectare. The best treatment was found in the combination of Bokashi and LOF at the 50 ML/L concentration, which produced the highest number of pods (24.59), the highest seed weight per plant (4.37 grams), and a yield per hectare of 0.72 tons. In conclusion, the use of organic fertilizers, especially LOF from vegetable waste, significantly improves peanut productivity and has the potential to support sustainable agricultural practices.

Peanut allergen characterization and allergenicity throughout development.

Peanut allergy (PA) in children is a major concern. There is a need for better biological material for both diagnosis and oral immunotherapy (OIT) treatments. The unique state of seeds at early reproductive stages may affect the allergenicity of storage proteins, and impact clinical diagnostic and OIT protocols. The objective of this study was to evaluate the major allergen content in sequential seed developmental stages and monitor allergenicity via specific IgE binding quantification and skin prick testing. Seeds were collected from peanut plants and sorted into five developmental stages: initial (S1), developing (S2), full-size without coloration (S3), full-size with coloration (S4), and fully mature (S5) seeds. Samples were characterized by RNA-Seq, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry. Lyophilized, ground preparations were used for evaluation of skin test responses in sixty challenge-proven PA children. Gene expression, protein content, and specific IgE binding of allergenic proteins increased throughout seed maturation and development. An expression bias towards the less allergenic A-genome copy of the major allergen Ara h 2 was found in earlier stages, especially in stage S2. Immunohistochemical staining showed that Ara h 2 is more dispersed in the cell and less accumulated within organized bodies at stage S2 versus stage S4. Significant differences were found in mean wheal responses between the commercial peanut extract (equivalent to stage S5) and stages S1 and S2, but not with stage S4, upon skin prick testing in subjects with PA. The observed decrease in peanut-specific IgE binding of immature peanut seeds may be a result not only of decreased amounts of allergenic proteins, but also of profound changes in seed composition and conformation. This may be significant for developing a safer and more effective peanut OIT protocol.

Spring-Finger Motion Law Analysis and Cam Slide Optimal Design of Spring-Finger Cylinder Peanut Pickup Mechanism

Two-stage harvesting is the main method used for the mechanized harvesting of peanuts in China, in which the pickup device is a core part of the combine harvester. In order to solve the problem of pod loss caused by “stack” and “loss picking” from peanut plants when using a traditional spring-finger cylinder pickup device, an optimal spring-finger cylinder peanut pickup mechanism was designed and its picking properties were tested. Based on the picking characteristics and picking force analysis when considering a peanut plant windrow, the ideal picking attitude and swing rule of the spring-finger were determined, and the cam slide, as the core element of the spring-finger cylinder peanut pickup device, was optimized. A mathematical model of the cam cylinder center line was established according to the swing law of the four picking stations utilizing the spring-finger. MATLAB and ADAMS were used to establish a simulation of the pickup mechanism, and kinematics and dynamics simulation analyses of the pickup mechanism were carried out. According to the design results, a prototype was constructed and a running pickup test was carried out. The peanut plant picking experiments indicated that the phenomenon of peanut plant stacking had significantly disappeared. Furthermore, through response surface analysis, the optimal working parameters of the picking device were obtained as follows: the forward speed Vm was 48.0 m/min, the rotational speed N was 50 r/min, and the ground height H was −16.8 mm. The picking rate of peanut plants was 99.21% and the pod loss rate was 1.79% under two harvesting conditions, with a peanut plant moisture content of 15% to 17%. This study provides technical support for the future design of picking devices for two-stage peanut pickup harvesters.

ANALISIS LINTAS KARAKTER AGRONOMI TERHADAP KOMPONEN PRODUKSI KACANG TANAH (Arachis hypogaea L.)

The peanut has been one of the most important commercial crops in Indonesia and its yield still needs to be improved. Peanut yield can be increased genetically through plant breeding programs. Indirect selection in peanut plant breeding programs requires information related to the relationship between its characters, especially the relationship between growth and yield characters through correlation and path analysis. This study aims to determine the relationship between growth and yield characteristics of peanuts based on correlation values, direct effects, and indirect effects using path analysis, so that selection criteria for high-yielding peanuts are obtained. This study was conducted using a survey method. 50 peanut plant samples were taken randomly as observation units, then path analysis was carried out. The results showed that the 12 DAP canopy width was positively and significantly correlated with peanut yield characters, such as fresh pod weight and number of pods. The 12 DAP canopy width also had the highest direct and indirect influence on the character of fresh and dry pod weight, and the number of pods. Indirect selection to increase peanut yield can be done using the 12 DAP canopy width character as selection criteria.

Sustainable management of peanut damping-off and root rot diseases caused by Rhizoctonia solani using environmentally friendly bio-formulations prepared from batch fermentation broth of chitinase-producing Streptomyces cellulosae.

Soil-borne plant diseases represent a severe problem that negatively impacts the production of food crops. Actinobacteria play a vital role in biocontrolling soil-borne fungi. The target of the present study is to test the antagonistic activity of chitinase-producing Streptomyces cellulosae Actino 48 (accession number, MT573878) against Rhizoctonia solani. Subsequently, maximization of Actino 48 production using different fermentation processes in a stirred tank bioreactor. Finally, preparation of bio-friendly formulations prepared from the culture broth of Actino 48 using talc powder (TP) and bentonite in a natural as well as nano forms as carriers. Meanwhile, investigating their activities in reducing the damping-off and root rot diseases of peanut plants, infected by R. solani under greenhouse conditions. Actino 48 was found to be the most significant antagonistic isolate strain at p ≤ 0.05 and showed the highest inhibition percentage of fungal mycelium growth, which reached 97%. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images analysis showed a large reduction in R. solani mycelia mass. Additionally, many aberrations changes and fungal hypha damages were found. Batch fermentation No. 2, which was performed using agitation speed of 200rpm, achieved high chitinase activity of 0.1163 U mL- 1 min- 1 with a yield coefficient of 0.004 U mL- 1 min- 1 chitinase activity/g chitin. Nano-talc formulation of Actino 48 had more a significant effect compared to the other formulations in reducing percentages of damping-off and root rot diseases that equal to 19.05% and 4.76% with reduction percentages of 60% and 80%, respectively. The healthy survival percentage of peanut plants recorded 76.19%. Furthermore, the nano-talc formulation of Actino 48 was sufficient in increasing the dry weight of the peanut plants shoot, root systems, and the total number of peanut pods with increasing percentages of 47.62%, 55.62%, and 38.07%, respectively. The bio-friendly formulations of actinobacteria resulting from this investigation may play an active role in managing soil-borne diseases.

AYA22A Aptamers Mitigate Peanut Allergenicity: Insights from Degranulation Assays and Modulating Immune Responses

Food allergy, particularly peanut allergy (PA), is a growing health concern affecting millions globally. PA can lead to severe reactions, including fatal anaphylaxis. Despite the availability of FDA-approved therapies like Palforzia, a cure remains elusive. Current immunotherapies show promise but lack a definitive cure. This study applies an established computational biology tool to design aptamers targeting Ara h1 and Ara h2. The in silico design aims to streamline the selection process, enabling cost-effective and rapid identification of aptamer candidates. The developed aptamers (AYA22A, including AYA22AR321, AYA22AR211, and AYA22AR524), demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells (rat basophilic leukemia cell line) in vitro. They showed promise in neutralizing peanut allergen-induced immune responses. The selected aptamers inhibited degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells, addressing concerns in raw peanuts. Moreover, these aptamers demonstrated stability and effectiveness in peanut plant seeds and commercial products. Our aptamers exhibited potential in modulating immune responses associated with peanut allergy. They influenced Th1/Th2 balance, indicating a role in cytokine regulation. In vitro studies also showed the aptamers’ impact on immune cell expression and cytokine production, resembling responses observed with established immunotherapies. The findings suggest AYA22A aptamers as a potential therapeutic option for peanut allergy, providing a basis for further in vivo investigations.

Insights into the antagonistic effects of calcium on cadmium accumulation in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plant has a high requirement for calcium (Ca) during its growth and development, and possesses the ability to accumulate cadmium (Cd) from soil. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the antagonistic effects between Ca and Cd remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the dynamic changes in Cd accumulation in peanut seedlings by varying the Ca-to-Cd concentration ratio (CRCa/Cd) from 250 to 3500. Additionally, the influence of ion channel competition and cell wall fixation in the root on Cd accumulation in peanuts was explored by analyzing Cd chemical forms, subcellular distribution, pectin content, and Cd2+ fluxes using a non-invasive micro-test technique (NMT). The findings revealed that Cd accumulation in peanut seedlings was significantly lower when the CRCa/Cd was higher than 2000. In the Ca-pretreated seedlings (cell wall fixation treatment), Cd content in the shoots and roots decreased by 18.9% and 25.0%, respectively, compared with the simultaneous exposure to Ca and Cd (ion channel competition treatment). Cd2+ influx in peanut roots decreased by 55.8% in the Ca-pretreated group. However, increasing the competitive strength of Ca2+ and Cd2+ did not affect Cd2+ influx under normal Ca conditions (>2 mM Ca). Meanwhile, Ca pretreatment significantly increased Cd distribution in the root cell wall, pectate, and protein-binding forms, while significantly reducing Cd distribution in root soluble components and inorganic Cd forms. The pectin content in the roots increased by 128% and 226% in the Ca and Cd simultaneous exposure treatment and Ca pretreatment, respectively. These results suggest that Ca pretreatment enhanced Cd retention in the root cell wall. Overall, exogenous Ca effectively mitigated Cd accumulation in peanut plants when the CRCa/Cd was below 2000, and Ca2+ channels partially facilitate the entry of Cd2+ into peanut roots. Under normal Ca supply conditions, exogenous Ca reduced Cd accumulation in peanuts primarily through root cell wall fixation rather than ion channel competition. Our findings provide insights into the mechanism by which Ca alleviates the uptake and transfer of Cd in peanuts.

Assessment of waterlogging-induced changes in enzymatic antioxidants and carbohydrate metabolism in peanuts genotypes

Soil flooding, manifesting as submergence or waterlogging stress, significantly impacts plant species composition and agricultural productivity, particularly in regions with low rainfall. This study investigates the biochemical responses of two peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes, DH-86 and GJG-32, under waterlogging stress. The experiment involved in-vivo pot trials where peanut plants were subjected to continuous waterlogging for 12 days at the flowering stage. Biochemical analyses of leaves conducted and revealed significant alterations in enzyme activities and metabolite concentrations. Key findings include variations in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPOD), α-amylase, invertase, acid phosphomonoesterase activities, and changes in starch, proline, reducing sugars, and chlorophyll content. SOD, CAT, and GPOD activities exhibited differential responses between genotypes, highlighting DH-86's quicker recovery post-waterlogging. Notably, DH-86 demonstrated higher resilience, reflected in its rapid normalization of biochemical parameters, while GJG-32 showed prolonged stress effects. These findings underscore the importance of antioxidative enzyme systems in mitigating oxidative damage induced by waterlogging. This study enhances our understanding of the biochemical adaptations of peanut genotypes to waterlogging stress, offering valuable insights for breeding programs focused on improving flood tolerance in crops.