Research

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21 pages, 27537 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The bZIP Transcription Factors in Current Jasmine Genomes: Identification, Characterization, Evolution and Expressions

by Kai Zhao, Xianmei Luo, Mingli Shen, Wen Lei, Siqing Lin, Yingxuan Lin, Hongyan Sun, Sagheer Ahmad, Guohong Wang and Zhong-Jian Liu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010488 - 29 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 630

Abstract

Jasmine, a recently domesticated shrub, is renowned for its use as a key ingredient in floral tea and its captivating fragrance, showcasing significant ornamental and economic value. When cultivated to subtropical zone, a significant abiotic stress adaptability occurs among different jasmine varieties, leading [...] Read more.

Jasmine, a recently domesticated shrub, is renowned for its use as a key ingredient in floral tea and its captivating fragrance, showcasing significant ornamental and economic value. When cultivated to subtropical zone, a significant abiotic stress adaptability occurs among different jasmine varieties, leading to huge flower production changes and plantlet survival. The bZIP transcription factors (TFs) are reported to play indispensable roles in abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we performed a genome-level comparison of bZIPs using three-type jasmine genomes. Based on their physicochemical properties, conserved motif analysis and phylogenetic analysis, about 63 bZIP genes were identified and clustered in jasmine genomes, noting a difference of one member compared to the other two types of jasmines. The HTbZIP genes were categorized into 12 subfamilies compared with A. thaliana. In cis-acting element analysis, all genes contained light-responsive elements. The abscisic acid response element (ABRE) was the most abundant in HTbZIP62 promoter, followed by HTbZIP33. Tissue-specific genes of the bZIPs may play a crucial role in regulating the development of jasmine organs and tissues, with HTbZIP36 showing the most significant expressions in roots. Combined with complicated protein interactions, HTbZIP62 and HTbZIP33 might play a crucial role in the ABA signaling pathway and stress tolerance. Combined with RT-qPCR analysis, SJbZIP37/57/62 were more sensitive to ABA response genes compared with other bZIPs in DJ amd HT genomes. Our findings provide a useful resource for further research on the regulation of key genes to improve abiotic stress tolerance in jasmine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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19 pages, 2305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics Reveal the Mechanisms of Young Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Ears’ Response to Spring Freezing

by Weiling Wang, Yuting Zhang, Chang Liu, Yongwen Dong, Xue Jiang, Can Zhao, Guohui Li, Ke Xu and Zhongyang Huo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15892; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115892 - 02 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 957

Abstract

Late spring frost is an important meteorological factor threatening the safe production of winter wheat in China. The young ear is the most vulnerable organ of the wheat plant to spring frost. To gain an insight into the mechanisms underpinning young wheat ears’ [...] Read more.

Late spring frost is an important meteorological factor threatening the safe production of winter wheat in China. The young ear is the most vulnerable organ of the wheat plant to spring frost. To gain an insight into the mechanisms underpinning young wheat ears’ tolerance to freezing, we performed a comparative proteome analysis of wheat varieties Xumai33 (XM33, freezing-sensitive) and Jimai22 (JM22, freezing-tolerant) under normal and freezing conditions using label-free quantitative proteomic techniques during the anther connective tissue formation phase (ACFP). Under freezing stress, 392 and 103 differently expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in the young ears of XM33 and JM22, respectively, and among these, 30 proteins were common in both varieties. A functional characterization analysis revealed that these DEPs were associated with antioxidant capacity, cell wall modification, protein folding, dehydration response, and plant–pathogen interactions. The young ears of JM22 showed significantly higher expression levels of antioxidant enzymes, heat shock proteins, and dehydrin under normal conditions compared to those of XM33, which might help to prepare the young ears of JM22 for freezing stress. Our results lead to new insights into understanding the mechanisms in young wheat ears’ response to freezing stress and provide pivotal potential candidate proteins required for improving young wheat ears’ tolerance to spring frost. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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18 pages, 3216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Antioxidant Response to Supplemental UV-B Irradiation and Sunlight in Three Basil Varieties

by Sonja Milić Komić, Bojana Živanović, Jelena Dumanović, Predrag Kolarž, Ana Sedlarević Zorić, Filis Morina, Marija Vidović and Sonja Veljović Jovanović

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(20), 15350; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242015350 - 19 Oct 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1087

Abstract

Three basil plant varieties (Ocimum basilicum var. Genovese, Ocimum × citriodorum, and Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens) were grown under moderate light (about 300 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) in a glasshouse or growth chamber and then either transferred [...] Read more.

Three basil plant varieties (Ocimum basilicum var. Genovese, Ocimum × citriodorum, and Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens) were grown under moderate light (about 300 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) in a glasshouse or growth chamber and then either transferred to an open field (average daily dose: 29.2 kJ m⁻² d⁻¹) or additionally exposed to UV-B irradiation in a growth chamber (29.16 kJ m⁻² d⁻¹), to reveal the variety-specific and light-specific acclimation responses. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), phenolic profile, ascorbate content, and class III peroxidase (POD) activity were used to determine the antioxidant status of leaves under all four light regimes. Exposure to high solar irradiation at the open field resulted in an increase in TAC, total hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs, especially caffeic acid), flavonoids, and epidermal UV-absorbing substances in all three varieties, as well as a two-fold increase in the leaf dry/fresh weight ratio. The supplemental UV-B irradiation induced preferential accumulation of HCAs (rosmarinic acid) over flavonoids, increased TAC and POD activity, but decreased the ascorbate content in the leaves, and inhibited the accumulation of epidermal flavonoids in all basil varieties. Furthermore, characteristic leaf curling and UV-B-induced inhibition of plant growth were observed in all basil varieties, while a pro-oxidant effect of UV-B was indicated with H₂O₂ accumulation in the leaves and spotty leaf browning. The extent of these morphological changes, and oxidative damage depended on the basil cultivar, implies a genotype-specific tolerance mechanism to high doses of UV-B irradiation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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19 pages, 6727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Evolutionary Characterization and Expression Analysis of Major Latex Protein (MLP) Family Genes in Tomato

by Zhengliang Sun, Liangzhe Meng, Yuhe Yao, Yanhong Zhang, Baohui Cheng and Yan Liang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 15005; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241915005 - 09 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1020

Abstract

Major latex proteins (MLPs) play a key role in plant response to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, little is known about this gene family in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). In this paper, we perform a genome-wide evolutionary characterization and gene expression analysis [...] Read more.

Major latex proteins (MLPs) play a key role in plant response to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, little is known about this gene family in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). In this paper, we perform a genome-wide evolutionary characterization and gene expression analysis of the MLP family in tomatoes. We found a total of 34 SlMLP members in the tomato genome, which are heterogeneously distributed on eight chromosomes. The phylogenetic analysis of the SlMLP family unveiled their evolutionary relationships and possible functions. Furthermore, the tissue-specific expression analysis revealed that the tomato MLP members possess distinct biological functions. Crucially, multiple cis-regulatory elements associated with stress, hormone, light, and growth responses were identified in the promoter regions of these SlMLP genes, suggesting that SlMLPs are potentially involved in plant growth, development, and various stress responses. Subcellular localization demonstrated that SlMLP1, SlMLP3, and SlMLP17 are localized in the cytoplasm. In conclusion, these findings lay a foundation for further dissecting the functions of tomato SlMLP genes and exploring the evolutionary relationships of MLP homologs in different plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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12 pages, 2489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping QTL for Mineral Accumulation and Shoot Dry Biomass in Barley under Different Levels of Zinc Supply

by Waleed Amjad Khan, Beth Penrose, Sergey Shabala, Xueqing Zhang, Fangbin Cao and Meixue Zhou

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241814333 - 20 Sep 2023

Viewed by 748

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a common limiting factor in agricultural soils, which leads to significant reduction in both the yield and nutritional quality of agricultural produce. Exploring the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for shoot and grain Zn accumulation would help to develop new [...] Read more.

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a common limiting factor in agricultural soils, which leads to significant reduction in both the yield and nutritional quality of agricultural produce. Exploring the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for shoot and grain Zn accumulation would help to develop new barley cultivars with greater Zn accumulation efficiency. In this study, two glasshouse experiments were conducted by growing plants under adequate and low Zn supply. From the preliminary screening of ten barley cultivars, Sahara (0.05 mg/pot) and Yerong (0.06 mg/pot) showed the lowest change in shoot Zn accumulation, while Franklin (0.16 mg/pot) had the highest change due to changes in Zn supply for plant growth. Therefore, the double haploid (DH) population derived from Yerong × Franklin was selected to identify QTL for shoot mineral accumulation and biomass production. A major QTL hotspot was detected on chromosome 2H between 31.91 and 73.12 cM encoding genes for regulating shoot mineral accumulations of Zn, Fe, Ca, K and P, and the biomass. Further investigation demonstrated 16 potential candidate genes for mineral accumulation, in addition to a single candidate gene for shoot biomass in the identified QTL region. This study provides a useful resource for enhancing nutritional quality and yield potential in future barley breeding programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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17 pages, 4526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Regulations of Antioxidant Metabolism and Cold-Responsive Genes in Three Bermudagrass Genotypes under Chilling and Freezing Stress

by Zhou Li, Cheng Huang and Liebao Han

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 14070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241814070 - 14 Sep 2023

Viewed by 667

Abstract

As a typical warm-season grass, bermudagrass growth and turf quality begin to decrease when the environmental temperature drops below 20 °C. The current study investigated the differential responses of three bermudagrass genotypes to chilling stress (8/4 °C) for 15 days and then freezing [...] Read more.

As a typical warm-season grass, bermudagrass growth and turf quality begin to decrease when the environmental temperature drops below 20 °C. The current study investigated the differential responses of three bermudagrass genotypes to chilling stress (8/4 °C) for 15 days and then freezing stress (2/−2 °C) for 2 days. The three genotypes exhibited significant variation in chilling and freezing tolerance, and Chuannong-3, common bermudagrass 001, and Tifdwarf were ranked as cold-tolerant, -intermediate, and -sensitive genotypes based on evaluations of chlorophyll content, the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, oxidative damage, and cell membrane stability, respectively. Chuannong-3 achieved better tolerance through enhancing the antioxidant defense system to stabilize cell membrane and reactive oxygen species homeostasis after being subjected to chilling and freezing stresses. Chuannong-3 also downregulated the ethylene signaling pathway by improving CdCTR1 expression and suppressing the transcript levels of CdEIN3-1 and CdEIN3-2; however, it upregulated the hydrogen sulfide signaling pathway via an increase in CdISCS expression under cold stress. In addition, the molecular basis of cold tolerance could be associated with the mediation of key genes in the heat shock pathway (CdHSFA-2b, CdHSBP-1, CdHSP22, and CdHSP40) and the CdOSMOTIN in Chuannong-3 because the accumulation of stress-defensive proteins, including heat shock proteins and osmotin, plays a positive role in osmoprotection, osmotic adjustment, or the repair of denatured proteins as molecular chaperones under cold stress. The current findings give an insight into the physiological and molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in the new cultivar Chuannong-3, which provides valuable information for turfgrass breeders and practitioners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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19 pages, 4429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proline Metabolism Process and Antioxidant Potential of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. in Response to NaCl Treatments

by Richard John Tiika, Huirong Duan, Hongshan Yang, Guangxin Cui, Fuping Tian, Yongtao He, Yanjun Ma and Yi Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 13794; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241813794 - 07 Sep 2023

Viewed by 727

Abstract

Salinity influences the level of antioxidants and proline content, which are both involved in the regulation of stress responses in plants. To examine the interplay between the antioxidant system and proline metabolism in plant stress acclimation, explants of Lycium ruthenicum were subjected to [...] Read more.

Salinity influences the level of antioxidants and proline content, which are both involved in the regulation of stress responses in plants. To examine the interplay between the antioxidant system and proline metabolism in plant stress acclimation, explants of Lycium ruthenicum were subjected to NaCl treatments, and the growth characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities, proline accumulation, and metabolic enzyme content were analyzed. The results revealed that NaCl concentrations between 50 to 150 mM have a positive effect on the growth of L. ruthenicum explants. Increasing NaCl concentrations elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), while hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content was inhibited, suggesting that the elevated antioxidants play a central protective role in superoxide anion (O₂^•−) and H₂O₂ scavenging processes in response to NaCl treatments. Also, high proline levels also protect antioxidant enzyme machinery, thus protecting the plants from oxidative damage and enhancing osmotic adjustment. Increasing levels of pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), and ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (δ-OAT) were observed, resulting in elevated level of proline. In addition, the expression levels of LrP5CS1, -2, -3, LrOAT-1, and -2 were promoted in NaCl treatments. According to the combined analysis of metabolic enzyme activities and their relative expression, it is confirmed that the glutamate (Glu) pathway is activated in L. ruthenicum faced with different levels of NaCl concentrations. However, Glu supplied by δ-OAT is fed back into the main pathway for proline metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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17 pages, 6019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Analysis of Barley bHLH Transcription Factors and the Functional Characterization of HvbHLH56 in Low Nitrogen Tolerance in Arabidopsis

by Xiaoyan Quan, Chen Meng, Ning Zhang, Xiaoli Liang, Jialin Li, Hongmei Li and Wenxing He

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9740; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119740 - 04 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1406

Abstract

Improvement of low nitrogen (LN) tolerance or nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops is imperative for environment-friendly agriculture development. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are involved in multiple abiotic stresses and are suitable as candidate genes for improving LN tolerance. Few studies [...] Read more.

Improvement of low nitrogen (LN) tolerance or nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops is imperative for environment-friendly agriculture development. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are involved in multiple abiotic stresses and are suitable as candidate genes for improving LN tolerance. Few studies were performed on the characterization of the HvbHLH gene family and their function in response to LN stress in barley. In this study, 103 HvbHLH genes were identified through genome-wide analysis. HvbHLH proteins were classified into 20 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis in barley, which was supported by conserved motifs and gene structure analysis. The stress-related cis-element analysis in the promoters showed that HvbHLHs are probably involved in multiple stress responses. By phylogenetic analysis of HvbHLHs and bHLHs in other plants, some HvbHLHs were predicted to play roles in response to nutrition deficiency stress. Furthermore, at least 16 HvbHLHs were differentially expressed in two barley genotypes differing in LN tolerance under LN stress. Finally, overexpression of HvbHLH56 enhanced LN stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis, suggesting it is an important regulator in LN stress response. The differentially expressed HvbHLHs identified herein may be valuable for the breeding of barley cultivars with LN tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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12 pages, 2035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exogenous Kinetin Modulates ROS Homeostasis to Affect Heat Tolerance in Rice Seedlings

by Wentao Mei, Wenjuan Chen, Yingfeng Wang, Zeyun Liu, Yating Dong, Guilian Zhang, Huabing Deng, Xiong Liu, Xuedan Lu, Feng Wang, Guihua Chen, Wenbang Tang and Yunhua Xiao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076252 - 26 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1363

Abstract

Heat stress caused by rapidly changing climate warming has become a serious threat to crop growth worldwide. Exogenous cytokinin (CK) kinetin (KT) has been shown to have positive effects in improving salt and drought tolerance in plants. However, the mechanism of KT in [...] Read more.

Heat stress caused by rapidly changing climate warming has become a serious threat to crop growth worldwide. Exogenous cytokinin (CK) kinetin (KT) has been shown to have positive effects in improving salt and drought tolerance in plants. However, the mechanism of KT in heat tolerance in rice is poorly understood. Here, we found that exogenously adequate application of KT improved the heat stress tolerance of rice seedlings, with the best effect observed when the application concentration was 10⁻⁹ M. In addition, exogenous application of 10⁻⁹ M KT promoted the expression of CK-responsive OsRR genes, reduced membrane damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in rice, and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Meanwhile, exogenous 10⁻⁹ M KT treatment significantly enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzymes, heat activation, and defense-related genes. In conclusion, exogenous KT treatment regulates heat tolerance in rice seedlings by modulating the dynamic balance of ROS in plants under heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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13 pages, 3007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of the Enhanced Production of Chlorophyll b on the Light Acclimation of Tomato

by Imran Khan, Ahmad Zada, Ting Jia and Xueyun Hu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3377; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043377 - 08 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1315

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) is one of the widely cultured vegetables under protected cultivation, in which insufficient light is one of the major factors that limit its growth, yield, and quality. Chlorophyll b (Chl b) is exclusively present in the light-harvesting [...] Read more.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) is one of the widely cultured vegetables under protected cultivation, in which insufficient light is one of the major factors that limit its growth, yield, and quality. Chlorophyll b (Chl b) is exclusively present in the light-harvesting complex (LHC) of photosystems, while its synthesis is strictly regulated in response to light conditions in order to control the antenna size. Chlorophyllide a oxygenase (CAO) is the sole enzyme that converts Chl a to Chl b for Chl b biosynthesis. Previous studies have shown that overexpressing CAO without the regulating domain (A domain) in Arabidopsis overproduced Chl b. However, the growth characteristics of the Chl b overproduced plants under different light environmental conditions are not well studied. Considering tomatoes are light-loving plants and sensitive to low light stress, this study aimed to uncover the growth character of tomatoes with enhanced production of Chl b. The A domain deleted Arabidopsis CAO fused with the FLAG tag (BCF) was overexpressed in tomatoes. The BCF overexpressed plants accumulated a significantly higher Chl b content, resulting in a significantly lower Chl a/b ratio than WT. Additionally, BCF plants possessed a lower maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and anthocyanin content than WT plants. The growth rate of BCF plants was significantly faster than WT plants under low-light (LL) conditions with light intensity at 50–70 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, while BCF plants grew slower than WT plants under high-light (HL) conditions. Our results revealed that Chl b overproduced tomato plants could better adapt to LL conditions by absorbing more light for photosynthesis but adapt poorly to excess light conditions by accumulating more ROS and fewer anthocyanins. Enhanced production of Chl b is able to improve the growth rate of tomatoes that are grown under LL conditions, indicating the prospect of employing Chl b overproduced light-loving crops and ornamental plants for protected or indoor cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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20 pages, 5337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chromium Induces Toxicity at Different Phenotypic, Physiological, Biochemical, and Ultrastructural Levels in Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Plants

by Sunjeet Kumar, Mengzhao Wang, Shah Fahad, Abdul Qayyum, Yanli Chen and Guopeng Zhu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 13496; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113496 - 04 Nov 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1851

Abstract

Crop productivity is enormously exposed to different environmental stresses, among which chromium (Cr) stress raises considerable concerns and causes a serious threat to plant growth. This study explored the toxic effect of Cr on sweet potato plants. Plants were hydroponically grown, and treatments [...] Read more.

Crop productivity is enormously exposed to different environmental stresses, among which chromium (Cr) stress raises considerable concerns and causes a serious threat to plant growth. This study explored the toxic effect of Cr on sweet potato plants. Plants were hydroponically grown, and treatments of 0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µM Cr were applied for seven days. This study exhibited that a low level of Cr treatment (25 µM) enhanced the growth, biomass, photosynthesis, osmolytes, antioxidants, and enzyme activities. However, significant deleterious effects in growth, biomass, photosynthetic attributes, antioxidants, and enzymes were observed at higher levels of Cr treatment. The remarkable reduction in plant growth traits was associated with the over-accumulation of H₂O₂ and MDA contents (410% and 577%, respectively) under the highest rate of Cr (200 µM). Under 200 µM Cr, the uptake in the roots were 27.4 mg kg⁻¹ DW, while in shoots were 11 mg kg⁻¹ DW with the highest translocation rate from root to shoot was 0.40. The results showed that the higher accumulation of Cr negatively correlated with the phenotypic and physiological parameters. It may be proposed that Cr toxicity causes oxidative damage as sustained by augmented lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species, and reduced photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll, and stomatal traits. The chloroplastic ultrastructure was damaged, and more apparent damage and size reduction were observed at higher Cr levels. Furthermore, aggregated Cr concentration positively correlates with the increase of osmolytes and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the leaves of sweet potato. Moreover, improved osmolytes and SOD do not help protect sweet potato against high Cr stress. Overall, these findings will improve the understanding of the defense mechanisms of sweet potato to Cr stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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Review

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14 pages, 2676 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Roles of Calcineurin B-like Proteins in Plants under Salt Stress

by Oluwaseyi Setonji Hunpatin, Guang Yuan, Tongjia Nong, Chuhan Shi, Xue Wu, Haobao Liu, Yang Ning and Qian Wang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16958; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316958 - 30 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 943

Abstract

Salinity stands as a significant environmental stressor, severely impacting crop productivity. Plants exposed to salt stress undergo physiological alterations that influence their growth and development. Meanwhile, plants have also evolved mechanisms to endure the detrimental effects of salinity-induced salt stress. Within plants, Calcineurin [...] Read more.

Salinity stands as a significant environmental stressor, severely impacting crop productivity. Plants exposed to salt stress undergo physiological alterations that influence their growth and development. Meanwhile, plants have also evolved mechanisms to endure the detrimental effects of salinity-induced salt stress. Within plants, Calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins act as vital Ca²⁺ sensors, binding to Ca²⁺ and subsequently transmitting signals to downstream response pathways. CBLs engage with CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs), forming complexes that regulate a multitude of plant growth and developmental processes, notably ion homeostasis in response to salinity conditions. This review introduces the repercussions of salt stress, including osmotic stress, diminished photosynthesis, and oxidative damage. It also explores how CBLs modulate the response to salt stress in plants, outlining the functions of the CBL-CIPK modules involved. Comprehending the mechanisms through which CBL proteins mediate salt tolerance can accelerate the development of cultivars resistant to salinity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Stress-Induced Responses and Tolerance Mechanisms at Biochemical, Cellular, Physiological and Molecular Levels)

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