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Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism

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A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 13 August 2024 | Viewed by 9795

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar

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Guest Editor

Department of Biology, University of Hassan II of Casablanca, Casablanca 20000, Morocco
Interests: plant tolerance; biotic and abiotic stresses; biostimulants/biofertilizers; salinity; drought; AMF; PGPR; organic amendments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Raja Ben-Laouane

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Guest Editor

1. Laboratory of Environment and Health, Department of Biology, Moulay Ismail Uneversity, Faculty of Sciences & Techniques, 52000 Errachidia, Morocco, Morocco
2. Laboratory of Agro-Food, Biotechnologies and Valorization of Plant Bioresources, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia, Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Team, Cadi Ayyad University (UCA), Marrakesh, Morocco
Interests: biotic and abiotic stresses; plant primary and secondary metabolites; plant stress response; plant metabolomics; biologically active plant metabolites; phytochemical composition of plant metabolite; biotechnological production of plant metabolites; biofertilzers/biostimulants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Abdelilah Meddich

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Guest Editor

Department of Biology, University of Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
Interests: biostimuants; AMF; PGPR; abiotic and biotic stress; organic amendments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are vulnerable to various biotic and abiotic stresses in their environment. These environmental stresses include drought, salinity, heat/cold stress, nutrient deficiency, heavy metal pollution, UV radiation, toxic gases, and pesticides, as well as the action of multiple organisms, for instance bacteria, fungi, viruses, and herbivores. Plants respond to these stressful conditions by changing the quantity and quality of the metabolites produced with a process which starts at the gene level and ends with the production of metabolites. Under a hostile environment, plant metabolism plays a key role in signaling pathways, physiological modulation, and defense responses. Simultaneously, environmental stresses induce fine adjustments of the biosynthesis, concentration, transport, and storage of primary and secondary metabolites in feedback. Appropriate activation of early metabolic responses aids in the restoration of biochemical and energetic imbalances caused by stress, which is critical for plant adaptation and survival.

This Special Issue of Metabolites is devoted to original research and review articles on the responses of plant metabolism to the action of different biotic and abiotic stress factors, as well as the status of primary and secondary metabolites in plants. This Special Issue covers a wide range of topics related to the biochemistry, functionality, and biological activity of particular metabolites. We especially welcome research and review articles that focus on (but are not limited to) the following topics:

Induction of metabolite biosynthesis in plants subjected to biotic and abiotic stresses;
Modification and production of plant metabolites using biotechnology techniques;
Stress-resistance-related metabolites in plants;
In vitro production of plant metabolites;
Biological activities of focused plant metabolites;
Plant metabolite biosynthesis;
Integrative and comprehensive tools for exploring stress-resistance-related metabolites in plants;
Application of specialized plant metabolites to promote crop production and resilience;
Specialized plant metabolites as bioactive molecules in pharmacology and medicine;
Induction of metabolite biosynthesis in plants by biofertilizers/biostimulants in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Dr. Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar
Dr. Raja Ben-Laouane
Dr. Abdelilah Meddich
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

biotic and abiotic stresses
plant primary and secondary metabolites
plant stress response
plant metabolomics
biologically active plant metabolites
phytochemical composition of plant metabolites
biotechnological production of plant metabolites
biostimulants for plant stress mitigation

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 5195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Rock Phosphate on Growth, Physiology, and Biochemistry of Carob under Water Stress and after Rehydration in Vermicompost-Amended Soil

by Abderrahim Boutasknit, Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar, Boujemaa Fassih, Raja Ben-Laouane, Said Wahbi and Abdelilah Meddich

Metabolites 2024, 14(4), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14040202 - 03 Apr 2024

Viewed by 702

Abstract

In the Mediterranean region, reforestation programs record failures following successive drought periods. The use of different plant-growth-promoting amendments and the understanding of drought-induced physiological and biochemical responses of carob will contribute to the reforestation program’s success. In this study, the effects of arbuscular-mycorrhizal-fungi (AMF), vermicompost (VC), and rock phosphate (RP) on carob seedlings under drought stress (DS) and recovery (REC) conditions were evaluated. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with carob seedlings grown in the presence of AMF, VC, and RP, applied alone or in combination under well-watered (WW), DS (by stopping irrigation for 12 days), and recovery (REC) conditions. The obtained results indicated that the triple combination (AMF + VC + RP) presented the highest improvement in water potential, photosynthetic pigment content, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence compared to the controls under DS and after REC. In addition, this combination resulted in improved tolerance of carob seedlings to DS and a high potential for rapid recovery after rehydration due to a high accumulation of sugars, proteins, and antioxidant enzymes. In summary, the results underline the importance of inoculating carob with AMF in combination with (in)-organic amendments in improving its tolerance to DS and its recovery performances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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21 pages, 6619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabolic Adaptations in Rapeseed: Hemin-Induced Resilience to NaCl Stress by Enhancing Growth, Photosynthesis, and Cellular Defense Ability

by Xutong Lu, Dianfeng Zheng, Naijie Feng, Guangsheng Zhou, Aaqil Khan, Huimin Zhao, Peng Deng, Hang Zhou, Feng Lin and Ziming Chen

Metabolites 2024, 14(1), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14010057 - 15 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1015

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether presoaking with hemin (5 μmol·L⁻¹) could alleviate NaCl stress during rapeseed seedlings’ growth and its role in the regulation of photosynthesis. In this experiment, ‘HUAYOUZA 62 (HYZ 62)’ and ‘HUAYOUZA 158R (158R)’ were used as materials for pot experiments to study the morphology, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant activity, and osmoregulatory factors of seedlings under different salt concentrations, as well as the regulatory effects of hemin-presoaked seeds. Our findings revealed that, compared the control, NaCl stress inhibited the growth of two rapeseed varieties, decreased the seedling emergence rate, and increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), the electrolyte leakage rate (EL) and antioxidant enzyme activity. Hemin soaking alleviated the adverse effects of salt stress and increased plant height, root elongation and dry matter accumulation. Compared with all NaCl treatments, hemin significantly enhanced photosynthetic indexes, including a percent increase of 12.99–24.36% and 5.39–16.52% in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), 17.86–48.08% and 8.6–23.44% in stomatal conductivity (Gs), and 15.42–37.94% and 11.09–19.08% in transpiration rate (Tr) for HYZ62 and 158R, respectively. Moreover, hemin soaking also increased antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), reducing the malondialdehyde, and thus resulting in the alleviation of oxidative damage caused by NaCl stress. Furthermore, hemin stimulated the formation of soluble protein, which effectively regulated the osmo-protective qualities. The current findings strongly elucidate that hemin soaking could effectively alleviate the negative impacts of NaCl stress by regulating the morphological, photosynthetic, and antioxidant traits. This study provides a new idea regarding the effect of Hemin on the salt tolerance of rapeseed, and provides a basis for the practical application of Hemin in saline–alkali soil to improve the salt tolerance of cultivated rapeseed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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24 pages, 4741 KiB

Open AccessArticle

¹H NMR-Based Metabolomics Profile of Green and Red Amaranthus Grown in Open Field versus Greenhouse Cultivation System

by Lufuno Ethel Nemadodzi and Gudani Millicent Managa

Metabolites 2024, 14(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14010021 - 28 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1310

Abstract

Traditionally, indigenous African leafy vegetables such as Amaranthus, blackjack, jute mallow, cleome monophyla, and spider plants have been conventionally and organically grown as weeds in open fields. However, the lack of land space due to the increase in population has resulted in unconventional, modern, and advanced agricultural farming. The introduction of a greenhouse has recently become the second most popular growing system alongside shade net and glasshouse to increase productivity and meet consumers’ demand. Several studies on Amaranthus species have solely focused on physiological parameters and nutritional composition, leaving a huge gap on their metabolomic profile of the leaves which is crucial to comprehend when growing Amaranthus species in different cropping systems. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the influence of different cropping systems on the release of metabolites of two commonly consumed Amaranthus species in South Africa. H¹ -Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) tool was used to profile the untargeted metabolites of green (Amaranthus graecizans L.) and red (Amaranthus cruentus L.) species. A total of 12 metabolites—trehalose, betaine, glutamine, choline, sucrose, caprate, adenosine, asparagine, carnitine, caffeine, aspartate, and alanine—were detected in green amaranth grown in open fields. Except for caffeine, aspartate, and caprate, which were found in the green amaranth grown in open fields, all the other metabolites were detected in the greenhouse grown once. Interestingly, allantoin, which serves as an allelochemical, was the sole distinct metabolite detected in greenhouse cultivated green amaranth. On the contrary, seven similar metabolites were quantified in red amaranth grown in both open fields and greenhouses, apart from caffeine, which was only detected in greenhouse-cultivated red amaranth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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14 pages, 3775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Correlation of Elemental Transfer, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity on Lactuca sativa L. Grown in Soil with Functionalized CNT and HMs

by Maria-Loredana Soran, Ildiko Lung, Adina Stegarescu, Otilia Culicov, Ocsana Opriș, Pavel Nekhoroshkov and Dorina Podar

Metabolites 2023, 13(12), 1171; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13121171 - 24 Nov 2023

Viewed by 889

Abstract

While heavy metals (HM) have been considered in recent decades to be the most common and problematic pollutants, the expansion of the list of pollutants due to the active use of carbon nanotubes (CNT) raises new questions about the benefit and harm of HM released to nature individually or fixed on CNT walls. A pot experiment was conducted to compare the effect of two classes of potential pollutants—metal salts of Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Ni; and functionalized CNTs with COOH, MnO₂, Fe₃O₄, and MnO₂-Fe₃O₄—applied in soil, on the elemental transfer, the bioactive compounds accumulation, and the antioxidant activity in lettuce. While CNTs mainly increased the elemental transfer from soil to leaves, HM salts strongly obstructed it. In the presence of CNTs, the antioxidant activity in lettuce leaves correlated with the transfer of elements from soil to root and from root to leaves. The excess of HMs in soil induced a greater variation of the polyphenols quantity and antioxidant activity than the excess of CNTs. It might be assumed that lettuce perceived HMs as a more aggressive stressor than CNTs and more strongly activated the defense mechanism, showing the reduction of the element transfer and enhancing of total polyphenol production and antioxidant activity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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21 pages, 6903 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exogenous Putrescine Modulates Nitrate Reductase-Dependent NO Production in Cucumber Seedlings Subjected to Salt Stress

by Natalia Napieraj, Małgorzata Janicka, Beata Augustyniak and Małgorzata Reda

Metabolites 2023, 13(9), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13091030 - 21 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 940

Abstract

Polyamines (PAs) are small aliphatic compounds that participate in the plant response to abiotic stresses. They also participate in nitric oxide (NO) production in plants; however, their role in this process remains unknown. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the role of putrescine (Put) in NO production in the roots of cucumber seedlings subjected to salt stress (120 mM NaCl) for 1 and 24 h. In salinity, exogenous Put can regulate NO levels by managing NO biosynthesis pathways in a time-dependent manner. In cucumber roots exposed to 1 h of salinity, exogenous Put reduced NO level by decreasing nitrate reductase (NR)-dependent NO production and reduced nitric oxide synthase-like (NOS-like) activity. In contrast, during a 24 h salinity exposure, Put treatment boosted NO levels, counteracting the inhibitory effect of salinity on the NR and plasma membrane nitrate reductase (PM-NR) activity in cucumber roots. The role of endogenous Put in salt-induced NO generation was confirmed using Put biosynthesis inhibitors. Furthermore, the application of Put can modulate the NR activity at the genetic and post-translational levels. After 1 h of salt stress, exogenous Put upregulated CsNR1 and CsNR2 expression and downregulated CsNR3 expression. Put also decreased the NR activation state, indicating a reduction in the level of active dephosphorylated NR (dpNR) in the total enzyme pool. Conversely, in the roots of plants subjected to 24 h of salinity, exogenous Put enhanced the NR activation state, indicating an enhancement of the dpNR form in the total NR pool. These changes were accompanied by a modification of endogenous PA content. Application of exogenous Put led to an increase in the amount of Put in the roots and reduced endogenous spermine (Spm) content in cucumber roots under 24 h salinity. The regulatory role of exogenous Put on NO biosynthesis pathways may link with plant mechanisms of response to salt stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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13 pages, 1702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptional and Metabolic Profiling of Arabidopsis thaliana Transgenic Plants Expressing Histone Acetyltransferase HAC1 upon the Application of Abiotic Stress—Salt and Low Temperature

by Tatiana Ivanova, Ivayla Dincheva, Ilian Badjakov and Anelia Iantcheva

Metabolites 2023, 13(9), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13090994 - 05 Sep 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1046

Abstract

Augmented knowledge of plant responses upon application of stress could help improve our understanding of plant tolerance under abiotic stress conditions. Histone acetylation plays an important role in gene expression regulation during plant growth and development and in the response of plants to abiotic stress. The current study examines the level of transcripts and free metabolite content in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing a gene encoding histone acetyltransferase from Medicago truncatula (MtHAC1) after its heterologous expression. Stable transgenic plants with HAC1 gain and loss of function were constructed, and their T₅ generation was used. Transgenic lines with HAC1-modified expression showed a deviation in root growth dynamics and leaf area compared to the wild-type control. Transcriptional profiles were evaluated after the application of salinity stress caused by 150 mM NaCl at four different time points (0, 24, 48, and 72 h) in treated and non-treated transgenic and control plants. The content and quantity of free metabolites—amino acids, mono- and dicarbohydrates, organic acids, and fatty acids—were assessed at time points 0 h and 72 h in treated and non-treated transgenic and control plants. The obtained transcript profiles of HAC1 in transgenic plants with modified expression and control were assessed after application of cold stress (low temperature, 4 °C). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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20 pages, 7001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Triazoles as a Potential Threat to the Nutritional Quality of Tomato Fruits

by Veronika Hýsková, Michal Jakl, Jana Jaklová Dytrtová, Sanja Ćavar Zeljković, Ondřej Vrobel, Kateřina Bělonožníková, Daniel Kavan, Tomáš Křížek, Alice Šimonová, Marie Vašková, Ishak Kovač, Antoniana Račko Žufić and Helena Ryšlavá

Metabolites 2023, 13(9), 988; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13090988 - 01 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 943

Abstract

Triazole fungicides can threaten plants as abiotic stressors but can also positively affect plant defense by inducing priming. Thus, plant yield is also both protected and endangered by triazoles that may influence several metabolic pathways during maturation processes, such as the biosynthesis of saccharides or secondary metabolites. Here, Solanum lycopersicum L. plants were exposed to foliar and soil applications of penconazole, tebuconazole, or their combination, and their resulting effect on tomato fruits was followed. The exposure to the equimolar mixture of both triazoles influenced the representation of free proteinogenic amino acids, especially Gln, Glu, Gly, Ile, Lys, Ser and Pro, saccharide content, and led to a significant increase in the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids as well as positive stimulation of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system. Among the identified secondary metabolites, the most abundant was naringenin, followed by chlorogenic acid in tomato peel. In turn, all triazole-treated groups showed a significantly lower content of rosmarinic acid in comparison with the control. Foliar application of penconazole affected the fruit more than other single triazole applications, showing a significant decrease in antioxidant capacity, the total content of secondary metabolites, and the activities of total membrane-bound peroxidases and ascorbate peroxidase. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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20 pages, 2747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Acute Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation on Biomass Accumulation and Secondary Metabolites Production in Cotinus coggygria Scop. and Fragaria × ananassa Duch. Red Callus Cultures

by Alexandra-Gabriela Ciocan, Carmen Maximilian, Elena Monica Mitoi, Radu-Cristian Moldovan, Daniel Neguț, Cristina-Adela Iuga, Florența Elena Helepciuc, Irina Holobiuc, Mihai Radu, Tatiana Vassu Dimov and Gina Cogălniceanu

Metabolites 2023, 13(8), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13080894 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1086

Abstract

Cotinus coggygria Scop. (smoketree) and Fragaria × ananassa Duch. (strawberry) are two industrially important species due to their composition in bioactive compounds. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute low-dose gamma irradiation (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 Gy) on two red callus cultures established in smoketree and strawberry. The biomass production, dry weight, content of phenols, flavonoids, monomeric anthocyanins’, index of anthocyanins polymerization and antioxidant activity were evaluated. For the smoketree callus, a negative correlation between irradiation doses and callus biomass accumulation was observed. For the strawberry callus, irradiation did not significantly affect the accumulation of the biomass. An increased dry weight was observed in irradiated smoketree callus, while for treated strawberry callus, a decrease was recorded. Irradiation with 30 Gy was stimulative for polyphenols’ accumulation in both cultures; however, the increase was significant only in the strawberry callus. The flavonoids increased in the 30 Gy strawberry variants, while it significantly decreased in smoketree callus irradiated with 35 and 40 Gy. In irradiated strawberry callus, except for the 25 Gy variant (1.65 ± 0.4 mg C-3-GE/g DW), all treatments caused an increase in anthocyanins’ accumulation. In smoketree, except for the 15 Gy variant (2.14 ± 0.66 mg C-3-GE/g DW), the irradiation determined an increase in anthocyanins synthesis, with the highest value being seen in the 20 Gy variant (2.8 ± 0.94 mg C-3-GE/g DW). According to UPLC-HRMS investigations, an unidentified compound increased by 99% at the 30 Gy dose in strawberry callus, while in smoketree, maslinic acid increased by 51% after irradiation with 40 Gy. The results of this study showed, for the first time, the differential response of two performant callus cultures to low-dose gamma irradiation, a biotechnological method that can be used to stimulate the synthesis of important flavonoids and triterpenes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Biotic/Abiotic Stress on Plant Metabolism)

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