Plant Metabolic Activities Research Articles

Genome-Wide Identification of OsZIPs in Rice and Gene Expression Analysis under Manganese and Selenium Stress.

Zinc (Zn)- and iron (Fe)-regulating transport-like proteins (ZIPs) are a class of proteins crucial for metal uptake and transport in plants, particularly for Zn and Fe absorption and distribution. These proteins ensure the balance of trace elements essential for plant growth, development, and metabolic activities. However, the role of the rice (Oryza sativa) OsZIP gene family in manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se) transport remains underexplored. This research conducted an all-sided analysis of the rice OsZIPs and identified 16 OsZIP sequences. Phylogenetic analysis categorized the OsZIPs predominantly within the three subfamilies. The expression levels of OsZIPs in rice root and leaf subjected to Mn and Se toxicity stress were examined through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The findings revealed significant differential expression of many OsZIPs under these conditions, indicating a potential regulating effect in the response of rice to Mn and Se toxicity. This work lays a foundation for further functional studies of OsZIPs, enhancing our understanding of the response mechanisms of rice to Mn and Se toxicity and their roles in growth, development, and environmental adaptation.

Plant growth promoters boost the photosynthesis related mechanisms and secondary metabolism of late-sown wheat under contrasting saline regimes

There is an imminent risk of higher crop failures owing to weather vagaries for agriculture-based livelihood systems, which are already fragile due to several challenges. The most important challenge is the encounter of crops against multiple environmental stresses under natural field conditions, the combination of these stresses poses complex effects on plant physiological and metabolic activities. To date, the combined effects of salt stress (SS) and late-sown (LS) on physiological and biochemical attributes have not been studied on wheat. A two-year field study was designed to evaluate the effect of plant growth promoters (PGRPs) to alleviate the individual SS, LS and combinations on wheat. The experiment was conducted for three factors, a) late sown and timely sown, b) saline and non-saline conditions and c) PGRPs treatments (thiourea (TU @ 1000 mg L−1), salicylic acid (SA @ 100 mg L−1), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 @ 100 µM), water spray (H2O) and control). Data revealed that under stress conditions, especially under SS+LS stress plants increased the synthesis of secondary metabolites, enhanced heat dissipation, and showed strict control over the stomatal regulation and gas exchange attributes, all these mechanisms were tweaked to deal with all the stresses. In addition, SS+LS stress followed by SS and LS stress severely reduced the flag leaf area (FLA), chlorophyll pigment contents and chlorophyll fluorescence and carboxylation capacity. However, foliar treatments of PGRPs TU, followed by SA, H2O2, H2O and control improved the chlorophyll fluorescence, pigments contents, gas exchange indicators, and relative water content (RWC). Moreover, PGRPs application improved the FLA, pigment biosynthesis and carboxylation capacity that improved the synthesis of metabolites such as anthocyanin, niacin, flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, saponin and riboflavin, which acted as defensive compounds to preserve the photosynthetic capacity irrespective of stress treatments.

Actinomycetes as a Possible Source of Bioremediation of Heavy Metal Cadmium from Contaminated Soil

Annually, a significant volume of chemicals, encompassing fertilizers and pesticides, is administered to agricultural soils. Using pesticides and fertilizers, agricultural practices contribute to heavy metal Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) pollution. Heavy metals and pesticides are high at the peak of ecological contaminants, presence of this has introduced grave risks to the health of the population and agronomics. Among heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) is recognized for its high mobility in various environmental settings. Cd has a deleterious effect on plant phenotypic, cytotoxicity (e.g., lowering chlorophyll concentration and limiting photosynthetic effectiveness), and metabolic activities (e.g., chlorosis and necrosis). Microbial bioremediation by using microorganisms is one of the secure, pure, cost operative and eco-friendly technology for decontaminating polluting sites as compared to physical and chemical techniques. Among microbes, Actinobacteria hold a paramount position, serving as key players in numerous biological processes, utilize toxins as carbon source and turn into high concentrations of pesticides, chemical complexes and heavy metals into commercially viable antibiotics, enzymes, proteins, and plant growth promoting hormones. This study is an effort to explore the potent cadmium resistance actinomycetes to reduce cadmium levels to enhance degradation. For this purpose, 53 actinomycetes strains were tested for heavy metal resistance and tolerance to Cadmium against different concentrations. After secondary screening Four potent isolate have the potential to grow at 1000 mg/L concentration of Cadmium in the medium. When they are able to grow on heavy metal containing media it could be beneficial for reduction and elimination of toxic metals from contaminated environment. When it comes to achieving a suitable level of metal tolerance, this potent powerful actinomycetes strain Streptomyces pactum have been identified to be promising.

Nitro-PAHs: Occurrences, ecological consequences, and remediation strategies for environmental restoration

Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs) are persistent pollutants that have been introduced into the environment as a result of human activities. They are produced when PAHs undergo oxidation and are highly resistant to degradation, resulting in prolonged exposure and significant health risks for wildlife and humans. Nitro-PAHs' potential to induce cancer and mutations has raised concerns about their harmful effects. Furthermore, their ability to accumulate in the food chain seriously threatens the ecosystem and human health. Moreover, nitro-PAHs can disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine system, leading to reproductive and developmental problems in humans and other organisms. Reducing nitro-PAHs in the environment through source management, physical removal, and chemical treatment is essential to mitigate the associated environmental and human health risks. Recent studies have focused on improving nitro-PAHs' phytoremediation by incorporating microorganisms and biostimulants. Microbes can break down nitro-PAHs into less harmful substances, while biostimulants can enhance plant growth and metabolic activity. By combining these elements, the effectiveness of phytoremediation for nitro-PAHs can be increased. This study aimed to investigate the impact of introducing microbial and biostimulant agents on the phytoremediation process for nitro-PAHs and identify potential solutions for addressing the environmental risks associated with these pollutants.

Foliar Application of Seaweed Extract and Micronutrients on Plant Growth and Yield of Strawberry (Fragaria X Annanassa Duch) CV. Winter Dawn: A Review

The study investigates the potential benefits of integrating seaweed extracts and micronutrients into the cultivation practices of strawberries to enhance overall plant performance and fruit production. Seaweed extracts are known to contain bioactive compounds, including plant growth regulators, amino acids, and minerals, which have been reported to positively influence various physiological processes in plants. Additionally, micronutrients play a crucial role in the plant's metabolic activities, and deficiencies can lead to reduced growth and yield. The synergistic effects of seaweed extract and micronutrients present an intriguing avenue for improving the overall health and productivity of strawberry crops. The review summarizes the findings from recent studies, assessing the impact of foliar application of seaweed extracts and micronutrients on strawberry plants. Improvements in growth parameters, nutrient uptake, and yield attributes were observed. Furthermore, the review concluded the potential use of various seaweed extract and micronutrients in strawberry cultivation for significant advantages.

Phenological, growth, and yield responses of sweet corn to elevational air temperatures in the humid tropics

Temperature plays a determinant role in the rate of plant metabolic activities and, accordingly, dictates the plant's phenological stages, growth, and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phenological, growth, and ear yield behavior of ten sweet corn hybrids in response to elevational temperature changes in the humid tropics. Seeds of ten hybrids were grown in three elevations (coastland, midland, and highland). Results show that the hybrids belonged to the same maturity group with comparable accumulated growing degree days, but they varied in green ear yield, harvest index, and heat use efficiency. It was also found that higher elevations lead to longer plant growth and fewer growing degree-day requirements, resulting in increased in biomass accumulation for ear and overall vegetative growth but more efficient in the heat use. These findings will be useful as a guide for crop management scheduling, including fertilizers application, pest control, diseases control, and weed control, to maximize sweet corn yield at different elevations in the humid tropics.

Growth and biomass yield responses of Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) Harms accessions to waterlogging stress

Effects of waterlogging on the growth of six accessions of Sphenostylis stenocarpa were investigated. There accessions were TSs-5, TSs-7, TSs-8, TSs-9 TSs-10 and TSs-11. After growing S. stenocarpa for 4 weeks, results indicated that waterlogging significantly (p=0.05) reduced its growth parameters of S. stenocarpa. For shoot length; TSs-9 recorded the highest value (48.27±2.92 cm) above its control while TSs-11 (17.96±1.13 cm) had the lowest value. For petiole length, TSs-9 (3.62±0.33 cm) recorded the highest value while TSs-8 (0.93±0.93 cm) recorded the lowest value. Internode length had TSs-7 (6.10±0.78 cm) had the highest value while TSs-8 (2.87±2.87 cm) had the lowest value. The total photosynthetic pigment measurement showed that TSs-5 (45.0±0.65 mg/kg) with the highest value and TSs-8 (33.37±14.00 mg/kg) had the lowest value. For leaf area, TSs-7 (25.73±4.21 cm2) had the highest value while TSs-11 (16.13±2.82 cm2) recorded the lowest value. Total Fresh Weight (TFW), TSs-7 recorded the highest value (4.96 g) while TSs-8 recorded the lowest value (1.75 g). Root Fresh Weight (RFW), Tss-5 was observed to have the highest value (1.44 g) while Tss-11 recorded the lowest value (0.56 g). However, at 2 weeks after planting the effect of waterlogging stress on the growth parameter was not significant. The reduction in the growth of S. stenocarpa as a result of waterlogging stress might be due to the detrimental effect of flooding on O2 availability for plant cells and other plant metabolic activities of the plant. In areas with waterlogged soil conditions, S. stenocarpa should not be cultivated as it has poor and relatively low tolerance towards withstanding the impact of waterlogging; however, accession TSs-9 showed promising waterlogging tolerance ability.

Molecular evolution of methylesterase family genes and the BnMES34 is a positive regulator of Plasmodiophora brassicae stress response in Arabidopsis

Methylesterases (MES) are involved in hydrolysis of carboxylic esters, which have substantial roles in plant metabolic activities and defense mechanisms. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate Brassica napus BnMESs and characterize their role in response to Plasmodiophora brassicae stress. Forty-four BnMES members were identified and categorized into three groups based on their phylogenetic relationships and structural similarities. Through functional predictions in the promoter regions and analysis of RNA-Seq data, BnMES emerged as pivotal in growth, development, and stress responses to B. napus, particularly BnMES34, was strongly induced in response to P. brassicae infection. Gene Ontology analyses highlighted BnMES34's role in regulation of plant disease resistance responses. Furthermore, overexpression of BnMES34 in A. thaliana exhibited milder clubroot symptoms, and reduced disease indices, suggesting positive regulatory role of BnMES34 in plant's response to P. brassicae stress. Molecular docking and enzyme activity verification indicated that BnMES34 has the ability to generate salicylic acid via methyl salicylate, and further experimentally validated in vivo. This discovery indicates that the overexpression of BnMES34 in Arabidopsis confers resistance against clubroot disease. Overall, our research suggests that BnMES34 has a beneficial regulatory role in enhancing stress resistance to P. brassicae in B. napus.

Enhancing Germination and Seedling Growth in Salt Stressed Maize Lines through Chemical Priming

This study aimed to investigate the tolerance level and the use of primers (H2O, KNO3, ascorbic acid and salicylic acid), in mitigating stress in maize in the newly released cultivars (SWAN-LSR-Y, BR9928-OMR-SR-Y and OMR-LSR-SY). Activities of SOD, APX, CAT and GSH and lipid peroxidation were investigated, to measure the biochemical response of the primed maize seeds. Maize seeds primed with KNO3 and ascorbic acid improved germination and anti-oxidative potential against ROS in ameliorating the salinity stress, while salicylic acid slowed germination. The same trend was followed in the seed vigour index and radicle length of seeds primed with ascorbic acid, which recorded the highest values. The control was observed to have the highest seed vigour index, while seeds primed with salicylic acid showed the least vigour index in the maize seeds. Increased salinity stress showed adverse effects on all growth parameters. Of the maize cultivars tested, SWAN-LSR-Y showed the most tolerance to salinity stress, in terms of germination. Significant high enzymatic activities and lipid peroxidation were recorded in seeds primed with ascorbic acid and KNO3 show their importance in plant metabolic activities.

OSMOTIC ADJUSTMENT AND DROUGHT RESISTANCE OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) - A SHORT REVIEW

Drought is the most limiting environmental factor affecting wheat growth and productivity and thus, breeding for drought tolerance is a main objective for cereal breeders. Progress in drought tolerance breeding of wheat depends upon genetic diversity existing among genotypes about of their responses to different stressors. One of the physiological parameter is the osmotic adjustment can be enhanced through selection and breeding. Osmotic adjustment is the only cellular process that is activated under water stress conditions and that makes it possible to maintain cellular turgor. This study presents some physiological patterns in wheat plants under drought condition, with focus on osmotic adjustment. The used methods included searching of databases, such as Web of Science or Google Scholar, in order to identify relevant results. Crop plants synthesize several osmolytes to provide osmotic balance at the cellular level, and those osmolytes, under drought stress, provide the plants’ osmotic adjustment. Osmotic adjustment is critical for regulating cell turgor for the maintenance of plant metabolic activity, growth, and productivity. Generally, drought tolerant wheat genotypes show a clear response towards osmotic adjustment. This indicates the key role that osmotic adjustment plays in drought tolerance and yield sustainability under drought stress.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles: A unique saline stress mitigator with the potential to increase future crop production

Globally, soil salinity is an abiotic stress that can threaten arable lands and crop production and consequently can negatively affect food security. Therefore, the aim of this review was to study the utilizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) as a novel approach to mitigate salinity stress and its negative impacts on environment and crop productivity. The application of ZnO-NPs can significantly enhance plant growth, physiological and metabolic activity, and yield as well as crop quality. The antioxidant enzymes activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) are increased when ZnO-NPs are applied which can mitigate the damage caused by ROS species and make them a valuable tool for future agriculture. The sucrose synthesis which ultimately biosynthesizes lipopolysaccharides (LP), glycinebetaine (GB), and total soluble protein (TSP), and enhanced ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase activity, light-capturing efficiency of photosystem II, as well as the ability to transport electrons under salinity stress are increased by the application of ZnO-NPs. Therefore, ZnO-NPs can be used as a potential strategy for promoting precision agriculture. The existing yield gap under a saline environment can be minimized by promoting the application of ZnO-NPs as it serves as a cheap, environment-friendly, and efficient source of Zn. In a nutshell, being an efficient and eco-friendly nanomaterial ZnO-NPs play a key role in mitigating saline stress by alleviating NaCl toxicity and enhancing crop productivity in saline soils.

Water Metabolism of Lonicera japonica and Parthenocissus quinquefolia in Response to Heterogeneous Simulated Rock Outcrop Habitats.

The karst carbon sink caused by rock outcrops results in enrichment of the bicarbonate in soil, affecting the physiological process of plants in an all-round way. Water is the basis of plant growth and metabolic activities. In heterogeneous rock outcrop habitats, the impact of bicarbonate enrichment on the intracellular water metabolism of plant leaf is still unclear, which needs to be revealed. In this paper, the Lonicera japonica and Parthenocissus quinquefolia plants were selected as experimental materials, and electrophysiological indices were used to study their water holding, transfer and use efficiency under three simulated rock outcrop habitats, i.e., rock/soil ratio as 1, 1/4 and 0. By synchronously determining and analyzing the leaf water content, photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, the response characteristics of water metabolism within leaf cells to the heterogeneous rock outcrop habitats were revealed. The results showed that the soil bicarbonate content in rock outcrop habitats increased with increasing rock/soil ratio. Under the treatment of a higher concentration of bicarbonate, the leaf intra- and intercellular water acquisition and transfer efficiency as well as the photosynthetic utilization capacity of P. quinquefolia decreased, the leaf water content was lower, and those plants had low bicarbonate utilization efficiency, which greatly weakened their drought resistance. However, the Lonicera japonica had a high bicarbonate use capacity when facing the enrichment of bicarbonate within cells, the above-mentioned capacity could significantly improve the water status of the leaves, and the water content and intracellular water-holding capacity of plant leaves in large rock outcrop habitats were significantly better than in non-rock outcrop habitats. In addition, the higher intracellular water-holding capacity was likely to maintain the stability of the intra- and intercellular water environment, thus ensuring the full development of its photosynthetic metabolic capacity, and the stable intracellular water-use efficiency also made itself more vigorous under karstic drought. Taken together, the results suggested that the water metabolic traits of Lonicera japonica made it more adaptable to karst environments.

Manipulation of light spectrum is an effective tool to regulate biochemical traits and gene expression in lettuce under different replacement methods of nutrient solution

The use of light-emitting diode (LED) technology represents a promising approach to improve plant growth and metabolic activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different light spectra: red (656 nm), blue (450 nm), red/blue (3:1), and white (peak at 449 nm) on biochemical properties, photosynthesis and gene expression in two lettuce cultivars (Lollo Rossa and Lollo Bionda) grown under different methods of nutrient solution replacement in hydroponics. Complete replacement and EC-based replacement of nutrient solution increased content of proline and soluble sugars and activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GPX and SOD) under the red/blue LED and red LED light treatments in both cultivars. In addition, the red/blue and the monochromatic red light increased the soluble protein content and the antioxidant activity in the Lollo Rosa cultivar under the replacement method according to the needs of the plant. An increase in flavonoid content in the EC-based method in the Lollo Rosa variety treated with a combination of red and blue light was also observed. The red/blue light had the greatest induction effect on anthocyanin content, expression of the UFGT, CHS, and Rubisco small subunit genes, and the net photosynthetic rate. Data presented here will directly contribute to the development of nutrient solution and LED spectrum management strategies to significantly improve plant growth and metabolism, while avoiding water and nutrient waste, and environmental pollution.

Ekmeklik buğdayda (Triticum aestivum L.) 15N izotopu kullanılarak çiçeklenme sonrası kuraklığın azot mobilizasyonu ve gelişimine etkileri

Water and nitrogen shortage are one of the main limiting factors of crop productivity such as wheat and cereals. Increased variation and changes in climate conditions are expected to dominate yield potential of wheat. Nitrogen isotope technique widely used in recent years provides useful information about mobilization and nitrogen use efficiency under environmental constraints. This study aimed to determine the effects of drought conditions applied during different growing periods on nitrogen uptake by using stable 15N isotope, yield and quality properties and stomatal conductivity of bread wheat. Environmental variation was obtained by designing 4 artificial practices (irrigated condition, rainfed condition, early drought (flowering-harvest) and late drought (grain filling-harvest) by rainout shelter with covering progress about drought in different growing periods. Number of grains per spike, 1000 grain weight, single spike yield, spike numbers per square meter, plant height, grain yield, biomass yield, stomatal conductance, protein, ash content and stem δ15N (‰), flag leaf δ15N (‰), grain δ15N (‰) values were determined. The drought period from the beginning of flowering till harvest of plants had adverse impact on grain yield and yield components. The results clearly indicated the practices that may cause drought stress in the generative period should be avoided. In addition, nitrogen use efficiency of bread wheat was disrupted with the decrease in the amount and efficiency of plant water use during drought periods. The results also revealed that contribution of nitrogen to crop yield decreased due to less consumption of nitrogen in plant metabolic activities during drought periods. Based on the results additional water supply decreased δ15N content in mature grains from 13420 ‰ to 9278 ‰. Nitrogen applied in stem elongation period had greater contribution to grain δ15N content (15269 ‰) compared to tillering growth stage (8975 ‰). Nitrogenous fertilizer application time suggested not to be delayed to improve nitrogen contribution in metabolic activities and to prevent postponing the tillering and stem elongation periods. The application of nitrogen improved mobilization and efficiency of nitrogen contribution to different plant parts during generative development stages of bread wheat.

Strigolactones in Plants and Their Interaction with the Ecological Microbiome in Response to Abiotic Stress.

Phytohormones play an essential role in enhancing plant tolerance by responding to abiotic stresses, such as nutrient deficiency, drought, high temperature, and light stress. Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid derivatives that occur naturally in plants and are defined as novel phytohormones that regulate plant metabolism, growth, and development. Strigolactone assists plants in the acquisition of defensive characteristics against drought stress by initiating physiological responses and mediating the interaction with soil microorganisms. Nutrient deficiency is an important abiotic stress factor, hence, plants perform many strategies to survive against nutrient deficiency, such as enhancing the efficiency of nutrient uptake and forming beneficial relationships with microorganisms. Strigolactone attracts various microorganisms and provides the roots with essential elements, including nitrogen and phosphorus. Among these advantageous microorganisms are arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), which regulate plant metabolic activities through phosphorus providing in roots. Bacterial nodulations are also nitrogen-fixing microorganisms found in plant roots. This symbiotic relationship is maintained as the plant provides organic molecules, produced in the leaves, that the bacteria could otherwise not independently generate. Related stresses, such as light stress and high-temperature stress, could be affected directly or indirectly by strigolactone. However, the messengers of these processes are unknown. The most prominent connector messengers have been identified upon the discovery of SLs and the understanding of their hormonal effect. In addition to attracting microorganisms, these groups of phytohormones affect photosynthesis, bridge other phytohormones, induce metabolic compounds. In this article, we highlighted the brief information available on SLs as a phytohormone group regarding their common related effects. In addition, we reviewed the status and described the application of SLs and plant response to abiotic stresses. This allowed us to comprehend plants' communication with the ecological microbiome as well as the strategies plants use to survive under various stresses. Furthermore, we identify and classify the SLs that play a role in stress resistance since many ecological microbiomes are unexplained.

Transcriptomic profiling revealed the role of 24-epibrassinolide in alleviating salt stress damage in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea).

Soil salinization is a major problem all over the world. The accumulation of salt in soil reduces the root water uptake and directly affects plant growth and metabolic activities. Brassinosteroid is a plant hormone that plays an important role in regulation of plant growth and physiological process, including promotion of cell expansion and elongation, signal transduction and stress response. Exogenous 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) has been proved to alleviate various environmental stress in plants. However, the role that EBL plays in salt stress response is still unknown in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). In this study, the physiology and molecular mechanisms regulated by exogenous EBL of salt stress response in tall fescue was investigated. Tall fescue plants were divided into four groups, including control (CK), NaCl solution (SALT), 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), NaCl solution + 24-epibrassinolide (SE). During the growth period of tall fescue, we found that electrolyte leakage (EL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased, chlorophyll (Chl) content and antioxidant enzyme activity were increased in leaves of tall fescue in SE group compared with SALT group, indicating that EBL improved the salt tolerance in grasses. Transcriptomic profiling analysis showed that after 12 h of treatments, 10,265, 13,830 and 10,537 differential genes were expressed in EBL, SALT, and SE groups compared with control, respectively. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mainly focused on binding, catalytic activity, cellular process, metabolic process, cellular anatomical entity. Moreover, most of the differential genes were expressed in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway. These results helped us to better understand the mechanism of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide to improve the salt tolerance of tall fescue.

Prediction of RNA editing sites and genome-wide characterization of PERK gene family in maize (Zea mays L.) in response to drought stress

ObjectivesInadvertent climate changes continuously threating the crops production and thus affecting the livelihood of peoples across the world. The maize production at world level has severely been hampered by the drought stress. Proline-rich extensin-like receptor kinases (PERKs) are considered among the sub-class of plants larger protein family, receptor kinases. Member of PERK gene family play significant role in both abiotic and biotic stress and in various plant metabolic activities and pathways. MethodsAs of now, no comprehensive research is reported for PERK genes in maize. We have performed a genome wide in-silico analysis and identify twenty-three PERK genes in maize. We performed phylogenetic analysis, sequence logos, motif analysis, promoter analysis, chromosomal and subcellular localization, synteny and expression analysis using RNA seq data under drought stress. We also predict RNA editing sites in mitochondrial and chloroplast genome. ResultsPhylogenetic study of PERK genes from eight different plant species divided into four distinct clades. Four subclasses group of ZmPERKs were observed based on domain organization, motif pattern, and phylogenetic analysis. The exon–intron arrangement of the ZmPERK were conserved among members of the same subclasses. In the promoter region different cis-elements were found those were involved in the growth and development, as well as light and stress response. Through gene duplication analysis it was observed that segmental duplications in ZmPERKs played major role in maize evolution. The Ka/Ks ratios indicated that most ZmPERK genes during the evolution have experienced strong purifying selection. The conversion of cytosine (C) to uracil (U) was observed in all predicted editing sites (U). These transitions were mostly based on changes in the first andsecond codon bases. The in-silico expression analysis of transcriptome data revealed the differential expression of ZmPERK genes in response to drought stress and oil content accumulation. ConclusionThe current study provides base information on the PERK gene family in maize. Our findings can serve as a reference for further functional analysis of ZmPERKs. These genes can be further explored and used in breeding program to develop cultivars resilient to drought stress.

Biochemical and molecular responses of Rosa damascena mill. cv. Kashan to salicylic acid under salinity stress

BackgroundToday, salinity stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses in the world, because it causes damage to many agricultural products and reduces their yields. Oxidative stress causes tissue damages in plants, which occurs with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when plants are exposed to environmental stresses such as salinity. Today, it is recommended to use compounds that increase the resistance of plants to environmental stresses and improve plant metabolic activities. Salicylic acid (SA), as an intracellular and extracellular regulator of the plant response, is known as one of these effective compounds. Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is a medicinal plant from the Rosaceae, and its essential oils and aromatic compounds are used widely in the cosmetic and food industries in the world. Therefore, considering the importance of this plant from both medicinal and ornamental aspects, for the first time, we investigated one of the native cultivars of Iran (Kashan). Since one of the most important problems in Damask rose cultivation is the occurrence of salinity stress, for the first time, we investigated the interaction of several levels of NaCl salinity (0, 4, 8, and 12 ds m− 1) with SA (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mM) as a stress reducer.ResultsSince salinity stress reduces plant growth and yield, in this experiment, the results showed that the increase in NaCl concentration caused a gradual decrease in photosynthetic and morphological parameters and an increase in ion leakage. Also, increasing the level of salinity stress up to 12 ds m− 1 affected the amount of chlorophyll, root length and leaf total area, all of which reduced significantly compared to plants under no stress. However, many studies have highlighted the application of compounds that reduce the negative effects of stress and increase plant resistance and tolerance against stresses. In this study, the application of SA even at low concentration (0.5 mM) could neutralize the negative effects of salinity stress in the Rosa damascena. In this regard, the results showed that salinity increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the concentration of proline, protein and glycine betaine (GB). Overexpression of antioxidant genes (Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX), CAT, Peroxidase (POD), Fe-SOD and Cu-SOD) showed an important role in salt tolerance in Damascus rose. In addition, 0.5 mm SA increased the activity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems and increased salinity tolerance.ConclusionsThe change in weather conditions due to global warming and increased dryness contributes to the salinization of the earth’s surface soils. Therefore, it is of particular importance to measure the threshold of tolerance of roses to salinity stress and the effect of stress-reducing substances in plants. In this context, SA has various roles such as increasing the content of pigments, preventing ethylene biosynthesis, increasing growth, and activating genes involved in stress, which modifies the negative effects of salinity stress. Also, according to the results of this research, even in the concentration of low values, positive results can be obtained from SA, so it can be recommended as a relatively cheap and available material to improve production in saline lands.

Coupling Metabolic Source Isotopic Pair Labeling and Genome Wide Association for Metabolite and Gene Annotation in Plants

To deepen our understanding of plant gene function, it is important that we advance our knowledge of plant genomes and metabolic activity. With metabolite synthesis information in hand, we will have the capability to unlock higher plant productivity, develop new strategies to protect plants from stressors, and develop new plant‐based products. This project applies isotopic labeling to characterize amino acid‐derived metabolites in Arabidopsis and then applies Genome‐Wide Association (GWA) to identify the genes responsible for their synthesis. A computational pipeline was utilized to generate metabolic features that are derived from the labeled amino acids and then we applied criterions to determine mass features of interest. This project aims to classify metabolites based on the precursor‐of‐origin and to provide the function of annotated genes that are associated with plant metabolism. Using this method, the methionine‐derived metabolites glucoerucin, propylcysteine sulfoxide, glucoiberin, L‐methionine sulfoxide, and dihomomethionine were identified. It is likely that mass features in our computational pipeline were identified but they have yet to be identified as metabolites in the literature. This information can be referenced for future research in metabolite identification. In combination with GWA, this method can also help to identify metabolites and candidate genes associated with their synthesis. This method allows for users to mass identify and classify metabolites based on the precursor‐of‐origin.

Application of Infrared Imaging for Early Detection of Downy Mildew (Plasmopara viticola) in Grapevine

Late detection of fungal infection is the main cause of inadequate disease control, affecting fruit quality and reducing yield of grapevine. Therefore, infrared imagery as a remote sensing technique was investigated in this study as a potential tool for early disease detection. Experiments were conducted under field conditions, and the effects of temporal and spatial variability in the leaf temperature of grapevine infected by Plasmopara viticola were studied. Evidence of the grapevine’s thermal response is a 3.2 °C increase in leaf temperature that occurred long before visible symptoms appeared. In our study, a correlation of R2 = 0.76 at high significance level (p ≤ 0.001) was found between disease severity and MTD. Since the pathogen attack alters plant metabolic activities and stomatal conductance, the sensitivity of leaf temperature to leaf transpiration is high and can be used to monitor irregularities in temperature at an early stage of pathogen development.