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A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Developmental Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 March 2024) | Viewed by 9466

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Dr. Denis V. Yanykin

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1. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilova St., 119991 Moscow, Russia
2. Institute of Basic Biological Problems, FRC PSCBR, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Institutskaya St., Pushchino, 142290 Moscow, Russia
Interests: plant physiology; plant biochemistry; plant photochemistry; photosynthesis; abiotic stresses; photoinhibition; photosystem II; water-oxidizing complex; manganese; reactive oxygen species; chlorophyll fluorescence; photosynthesis of non-leaf organs

Dr. Alexander S. Voronkov

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Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, IPP RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St., 127276 Moscow, Russia
Interests: plant physiology and biochemistry; fatty acid metabolism; gametophyte; ferns; microscopy and image processing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to the Special Issue of Horticulturae on “The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant”. This Special Issue of Horticulturae will focus on the molecular biochemical aspects of development across the diversity of agricultural plants, the mechanisms underlying their high productivity, and stress tolerance. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and photochemistry of agricultural plants is pivotal for shaping future crop yields and ultimately food security. Articles are invited for publication in this Special Issue, which are devoted to modern ideas about the most important biochemical transformations of substances and energy, water metabolism, mineral nutrition, regulatory mechanisms of growth and development of crops, as well as plant adaptation to various growing conditions.

Dr. Denis V. Yanykin
Dr. Alexander S. Voronkov
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

horticultural plants
plant physiology
plant biochemistry
molecular biology in plants
plant photochemistry

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genetic and Hormonal Regulation of Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) Maturity across Altitudinal Gradients

by Diana Nacouzi and Walid El Kayal

Horticulturae 2024, 10(4), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10040408 - 17 Apr 2024

Viewed by 300

Abstract

Lebanon is recognized as a major producer of sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) within the Mediterranean region. This non-climacteric fruit is grown at various altitudes, leading to considerable variation in maturity dates among cultivated varieties and altitudes and subsequently influencing harvest timing. The interaction between genotype and environment significantly affects fruit maturity dates and physicochemical attributes. Fruit maturation entails the regulated activity of numerous genes. In this study, we analyzed gene expression in the berries of six sweet cherry varieties (“Skeena”, “Teliani”, “Banni”, “Feraouni”, “Mkahal”, and “Irani”) cultivated at five locations, ranging from 1130 m to 2080 m above sea level, from May to July. This research focused on the genes potentially associated with auxin response factors, Abscisic acid receptors, ethylene receptors, gibberellin, and cytokinin regulations. Additionally, hormone analysis encompassing Benzyl Adenine (BA), Zeatin, Salicylic acid (SA), Gibberellic acid (GA3), and Abscisic acid (ABA) quantification was conducted on the same samples. The results revealed significant differences in gene expression concerning harvest dates, varieties, and locations. Abscisic acid and Salicylic acid exhibited higher concentrations in the tested fruits throughout the season. Benzyl Adenine had the lowest detected content in fruits. Data also revealed dynamic changes in phytohormones, especially ABA content, among varieties. When comparing phytohormones for different harvest dates in the same location, significant differences were observed. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of plant hormones and their gene expression in the maturation of non-climacteric fruits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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17 pages, 4918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrative Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Pericarp Coloration Mechanisms in Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia L.)

by Liang Yang, Zhi Li, Ju Li, Yanqin Ma, Mingjun Miao, Haicheng Long, Yujie Zhou and Wei Chang

Horticulturae 2024, 10(3), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030291 - 18 Mar 2024

Viewed by 777

Abstract

Pericarp colors are critical agronomic traits that affect the quality and economic values of fruits. Although a diversity of bitter melon pericarp (BMP) colors is available, the fruit pigmentation mechanisms remain elusive. Hence, this study aimed to unveil the key metabolites and molecular mechanisms underlying variation in BMP coloration through integrative metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses of four differently colored genotypes, including K1102 (grayish orange), 262 (grayish yellow), 1392 (very soft green), and K115 (dark grayish cyan). The four BMPs exhibited significant metabolite profile and transcriptional differences, as over 112 and 1865 DAMs (differentially accumulated metabolites) and DEGs (differentially expressed genes), respectively, were identified. The variation in the content of six anthocyanins, including malvidin 3-O-glucoside, petunidin 3-O-glucoside, rosinidin O-hexoside, cyanidin, cyanidin 3-p-hydroxybenzoylsophoroside-5-glucoside, and pelargonidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, might be the major driving factor of BMP color changes. Notably, malvidin 3-O-glucoside, rosinidin O-hexoside, and petunidin 3-O-glucoside are the dominant pigments in K115, while carotenoids and other flavonoids may contribute to other colors. Candidate flavonoid structural and regulatory (MYBs, NACs, MADSs, bHLHs, and bZIPs) genes were identified. Of them, gene13201 (anthocyanin reductase), gene8173 (polyphenol oxidase), gene2136 (NAC43), gene19593 (NAC104), and gene15171 (tetrapyrrole-binding protein) might play essential roles in K115 pericarp color development. Our findings deepen our understanding of BMP pigmentation and provide fundamental resources for higher-valued bitter melon breeding perspectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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17 pages, 6895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Portable Technology for Obtaining Plasma-Activated Water to Stimulate the Growth of Spruce and Strawberry Plants

by Yury K. Danileyko, Sergej V. Belov, Aleksej B. Egorov, Vladimir I. Lukanin, Ludmila M. Apasheva, Elena N. Ovcharenko, Anton V. Lobanov, Maxim E. Astashev, Alexander V. Simakin, Alexey V. Shkirin, Evgeny M. Konchekov, Dmitry A. Zakharov, Eugenia V. Stepanova, Mark O. Paskhin, Dina V. Kazantseva, Roman V. Pobedonostsev, Vladimir Sukhov, Alexey S. Dorokhov and Andrey Yu. Izmailov

Horticulturae 2023, 9(10), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9101142 - 17 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1502

Abstract

A method for stimulating the growth of spruce and strawberry in the early phases of development is proposed. A technology for obtaining plasma-activated water (PAW) with the help of a glow discharge plasma generator was developed. The method is proposed for increasing the shelf life of PAW by adding an aqueous colloid of polyvinylpyrralidone (PVP) polymer. It is shown that after treatment with a PAW + PVP mixture, the seeds have a higher percentage of germination, the plants develop faster in the early stages, and they are more viable. At the physicochemical level, after seed treatment with PAW + PVP, higher rates of metabolite outflow from seeds are observed. At the biological level, seed treatment with PAW + PVP leads to a slight decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and a higher content of chlorophylls in the leaves, and a slightly higher assimilation rate is observed. In the leaves, there is higher content of the growth hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), whereas the content of the growth-inhibiting hormone abscisic acid decreases. The use of a stimulating drug based on the composition of an aqueous solution activated by plasma and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PAW + PVP) polymer can be an effective means of a single pre-sowing treatment of spruce seeds in solving the problem of reforestation and strawberry during plant propagation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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19 pages, 4748 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles on Growth, Pigment Content, Membrane Stability, DNA Damage, and Stress-Related Gene Expression in Vicia faba under Saline Conditions

by Samar A. Omar, Nabil I. Elsheery, Pavel Pashkovskiy, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Suleyman I. Allakhverdiev and Amina M. Zedan

Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9091030 - 13 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1040

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO₂) on Vicia faba under salinity stress. Plants were treated with either 10 or 20 ppm nTiO₂ and subjected to two different concentrations of salinity (100 and 200 mM NaCl) as well as the combined effect of nanoparticles and salinity. Salinity induced a reduction in dry weight, increased electron leakage and MDA content, increased chromosomal aberrations and DNA damage, and reduced transcript levels of some stress- and growth-related genes. nTiO₂ treatment increased dry weight in unstressed plants and mitigated the salinity-damaging effect in stressed plants. nTiO₂ application improved cell division, decreased chromosomal aberrations, and reduced DNA damage in plants under saline conditions. The upregulation of antioxidant genes further supports the protective role of nTiO₂ against oxidative stress. Particularly significant was the ability of nTiO₂ to enhance the upregulation of heat shock protein (HSP) genes. These findings underscore the potential of nTiO₂ to reduce the osmotic and toxic effects of salinity-induced stress in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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15 pages, 2767 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physicochemical Response of External Plant Growth Regulator in the Cutting Process of Mulberry

by Jiajia Sun, Hao Dou, Hanlei Chen, Yilin Wang, Tiantian Wang, Jin’e Quan and Huitao Bi

Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9091006 - 06 Sep 2023

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Abstract

Adventitious roots play a crucial role in the nourishment and propagation of arboreal vegetation. In order to shed light on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the challenging-to-propagate mulberry tree species, an investigation was conducted. This study aimed to compare the responses of various root morphological indicators, endogenous hormones, and oxidase activities in the “Yueshenda 10” fruit mulberry, at different stages of treatment. The ultimate objective was to identify the factors influencing the process of root development. The findings revealed a distinct ”/\“ pattern in the levels of IAA and JA within the cuttings. Conversely, the changes in ABA, ZR, and GA₃ exhibited a ”/\/“ pattern. The fluctuation of the IAA/ABA values followed a ”\/\“ mode, whereas the IAA/ZR values initially increased, followed by a subsequent decrease. The correlation between the initial concentrations of these five endogenous hormones and the rooting rate displayed variations. Notably, IAA demonstrated the strongest association with the rooting rate, exhibiting a positive correlation with both IAA and ZR. Regarding the activity of three antioxidant enzymes (IAAO, POD, and PPO), a ”/\“ trend was observed, wherein the enzyme activity increased under ABT1 treatment. However, the peak activity levels of the enzymes appeared during different periods: callus generation, rooting induction, and adventitious root expression, respectively. Overall, the most effective treatment for promoting root development and significantly enhancing the root growth parameters of mulberry was found to be 800 mg/L ABT1. Exogenous hormone treatment expedited the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes, thereby shortening the rooting time and facilitating root formation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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27 pages, 20020 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Two Types of Europium-Based Photoconversion Covers for Greenhouse Farming with Different Effects on Plants

by Mark O. Paskhin, Denis V. Yanykin, Alexander V. Popov, Roman V. Pobedonostsev, Dina V. Kazantseva, Alexey S. Dorokhov, Andrey Yu. Izmailov, Alexey A. Vyatchinov, Elena O. Orlovskaya, Artem T. Shaidulin, Yurii V. Orlovskii, Vladimir A. Vodeneev and Sergey V. Gudkov

Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070846 - 24 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1105

Abstract

In the present work, we investigated the effect of light conversion using europium (Eu(III))-based photoconversion covers on the cultivation of agricultural plants and their resistance to stress conditions. Two types of europium nanoparticles were used. The first one was obtained from europium oxide (Eu₂O₃) by laser fragmentation. The second one was Eu³⁺:LaF₃ nanocrystals obtained by hydrothermal-microwave treatment, the content of europium ions in which was 50% of the total amount of cations. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) and cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) were used as model plants. It was shown that plants grown under cover with Eu₂O₃ (PCC-Eu₂O₃) were 30–40% larger, gave a higher yield, and the activation of gas exchange processes and the light phase of photosynthesis in the leaves in response to the lighting was faster. On the contrary, plants grown under cover with Eu³⁺:LaF₃ (PCC-Eu³⁺:LaF₃) tended to slow down the rate of biomass accumulation and decrease the rate of gas exchange activation. It was shown that photoconversion covers change the resistance of plants to stress conditions: if plants grown under PCC-Eu₂O₃ became more sensitive to heat (+40 °C) and cold (+4 °C) treatment, then plants grown under PCC-Eu³⁺:LaF₃ became more resistant to high and low temperatures. It was found that PCC-Eu₂O₃ inhibited the development of the phytopathogen Phytophthora infestans on tomato plants. It was assumed that changes in the illumination spectrum by the photoconversion covers cause both the activation of plant growth in the case of Eu₂O₃ and an increase in plant resistance in the case of Eu³⁺:LaF₃ applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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14 pages, 11153 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Expression Analysis and Interaction Protein Screening of CoZTL in Camellia oleifera Abel

by Shuangshuang Ren, Lemei Juan, Jiacheng He, Qian Liu, Jindong Yan and Jian’an Li

Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070833 - 21 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 860

Abstract

Camellia oleifera Abel., which produces fruits of high comprehensive utilization value, is an important woody oil tree in China. ZEITLUPE (ZTL) is a blue light receptor and clock component protein that is involved in various physiological and biochemical processes. However, the expression pattern and function of C. oleifera ZTL (CoZTL) remain unclear. In this study, the coding sequence of the CoZTL gene was isolated and the protein function was explored using bioinformatics and expression analyses and heterologous expression techniques. The results showed that the CoZTL protein was highly conserved during evolution and was on the same branch of the evolutionary tree as the ZTL proteins from Ipomoea nil and Nicotiana attenuata. CoZTL was mainly expressed in the fruit shells and stems of C. oleifera, and its expression level fluctuated greatly during flower bud development. Transgenic CoZTL-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants showed delayed flowering under long-day conditions as well as light-dependent promotion of hypocotyl elongation. Furthermore, yeast two-hybrid library screening revealed that seven C. oleifera proteins (CoAAT, Coβ-GAL, CoLAT52-like, CoCAR4-like, CoAO, CoUQCC1, and CoADF 2) interacted with CoZTL. Our results indicate that CoZTL plays an important role in C. oleifera flowering and hypocotyl growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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17 pages, 4514 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of the Potential Regulatory Mechanisms of Sophora Flower Development and Nutritional Component Formation Using RNA Sequencing

by Xuhong Song, Jirui Wang, Fanghong Shang, Gang Ding and Longyun Li

Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070756 - 30 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 733

Abstract

Sophora flower (Huaihua) is the flower of Sophora japonica L., which is used in ethnic food and traditional medicine in China. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanism related to the nutritional quality and regulation of floral organ development has yet to be elucidated in Huaihua. To understand the molecular mechanism of the different developmental stages of Huaihua, this study evaluated the transcriptome analyses of five different developmental periods from Huaihua. A total of 84,699 unigenes were reassembled from approximate 50 million high-quality clean reads. The results showed that the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fatty acid elongation process pathways were strongly induced at different developmental stage genes in Huaihua. During this study, 394 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for further studies, which included 13 phenylpropanoid biosynthesis-related genes, 186 plant hormone signal transduction-related genes, and 195 starch and sucrose metabolism response genes. Regarding the peroxidase in the lignin synthesis pathway, CCoAOMT was significantly upregulated with the development of Huaihua. The enzyme genes in flavonoid synthesis, such as PAL, 4CL, flavonol reductase, and 3 GT, were significantly downregulated during Huaihua development. In addition, the results also indicated that the enrichment key genes in these pathways of Huaihua can be divided into two distinct parts at developmental stages. In the floral bud stage, flavonoid, auxin, and cytokine synthesis-related genes were highly expressed. In the mature bud and full flowering stage, the expression level of genes related to lignin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid synthesis was high, while, for other genes related to flavonoid synthesis, it was lower. Furthermore, the DEGs in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway were also significantly upregulated in the later stage of flower development. This study provides a preliminary and comprehensive assessment of the quality formation and flowering regulation mechanism in Sophora japonica L. by investigating the expression profiles of the critical flowering-related genes at different developmental stages. The results indicate that the regulatory genes in these key biological pathways could be crucial factors involved in Huaihua development, which can provide a reference and new insights with which to further understand the molecular mechanisms of flower development in Sophora japonica L. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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Review

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25 pages, 1633 KiB

Open AccessReview

Comet Assay: Multifaceted Options for Studies of Plant Stress Response

by Elena V. Tyutereva, Aleksei D. Strizhenok, Elizaveta I. Kiseleva and Olga V. Voitsekhovskaja

Horticulturae 2024, 10(2), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10020174 - 15 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1088

Abstract

Contrarily to chronic stresses, acute (i.e., fast and dramatic) changes in environmental factors like temperature, radiation, concentration of toxic substances, or pathogen attack often lead to DNA damage. Some of the stress factors are genotoxic, i.e., they damage the DNA via physical interactions or via interference with DNA replication/repair machinery. However, cytotoxic factors, i.e., those that do not directly damage the DNA, can lead to secondary genotoxic effects either via the induction of the production of reactive oxygen, carbon, or nitrogen species, or via the activation of programmed cell death and related endonucleases. The extent of this damage, as well as the ability of the cell to repair it, represent a significant part of plant stress responses. Information about DNA damage is important for physiological studies as it helps to understand the complex adaptive responses of plants and even to predict the outcome of the plant’s exposure to acute stress. Single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) provides a convenient and relatively inexpensive tool to evaluate DNA strand breaks in the different organs of higher plants, as well as in unicellular algae. Comet assays are widely used in ecotoxicology and biomonitoring applications; however, they are still relatively rarely used in physiological studies. In this review, we provide an overview of the basic principles and of useful variations of the protocols of Comet assays, as well as of their use in plant studies, in order to encourage plant physiologists to include this tool in the analysis of plant stress responses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Photoсhemistry in Horticultural Plant)

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