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10 pages, 1598 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Invasive Evaluation of Different Soil Tillage and Seed Treatment Effects on the Microbial Originating Physiological Reactions of Developing Juvenile Maize

by Antal Binder, Ildikó Jócsák, Zsolt Varga, Bence Knolmajer and Sándor Keszthelyi

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2506; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192506 - 26 Sep 2022

Viewed by 981

Abstract

The successful production of maize is fundamentally determined by a good choice of tillage type. Options include conventional tillage based on soil rotation, as well as a more recent conservation approach. Our aims were to determine the stress physiological effects of the plant [...] Read more.

The successful production of maize is fundamentally determined by a good choice of tillage type. Options include conventional tillage based on soil rotation, as well as a more recent conservation approach. Our aims were to determine the stress physiological effects of the plant remains left behind by different tillage procedures on the juvenile maize plants, combined with the effects of fungicide treatment on the seeds. These effects were followed and investigated by means of biophoton emission measurement, an in vivo and non-invasive imaging technique, along with chlorophyll content estimation, as well as microbial- and polymerase chain reaction-based identification of fungi presence. Our results confirmed the response reactions of maize triggered by a soil covering plant remains on the initial development and physiological involvement of maize. The positive effects of seed treatment on initial development are manifested only at the final stage of the experiment. The fungal microbiological analysis confirmed the dominant presence of necrotrophic parasites on plant residues, the stress-inducing properties of which were possible to monitor by biophoton emission. Furthermore, the presence of Fusarium spp. was confirmed by PCR analysis from samples treated with plant residues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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23 pages, 6523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Impact of Nitric Oxide and Abscisic Acid on the Cellular and Physiological Functioning of sub1A QTL Bearing Rice Genotype under Salt Stress

by Indraneel Saha, Arijit Ghosh, Debabrata Dolui, Masayuki Fujita, Mirza Hasanuzzaman and Malay Kumar Adak

Plants 2022, 11(8), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11081084 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1935

Abstract

Hydroponic culture containing 200 mM NaCl was used to induce oxidative stress in seedlings of cultivars initially primed with 1 mM SNP and 10 µM ABA. Exogenous application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP – a nitric oxide donor) and abscisic acid (ABA) was well [...] Read more.

Hydroponic culture containing 200 mM NaCl was used to induce oxidative stress in seedlings of cultivars initially primed with 1 mM SNP and 10 µM ABA. Exogenous application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP – a nitric oxide donor) and abscisic acid (ABA) was well sensitized more in cv. Swarna Sub1 than cv. Swarna and also reflected in different cellular responses. The major effects of salinity, irrespective of the cultivar, were lowering the water relation, including relative water content and osmotic potential, and decreasing the compatible solutes like alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and glycine betaine. The accumulated polyamines were reduced more in cv. Swarna with a concomitant decrease in photosynthetic reserves. NADP-malic enzyme activity, sucrose accumulation, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase activities gradually declined under NaCl stress and the catabolizing enzymes like invertase (both wall and cytosolic forms) also declined. On the contrary, plants suffered from oxidative stress through superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and their biosynthetic enzymes like NADP(H) oxidase. Moderation of Na⁺/K⁺ by both SNP and ABA were correlated with other salt sensitivities in the plants. The maximum effects of SNP and ABA were found in the recovery of antioxidation pathways, osmotic tolerance, and carbohydrate metabolism. Findings predict the efficacy of SNP and ABA either independently or cumulatively in overcoming NaCl toxicity in rice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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13 pages, 2892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In-Vivo Biophoton Emission, Physiological and Oxidative Responses of Biostimulant-Treated Winter Wheat (Triticum eastivum L.) as Seed Priming Possibility, for Heat Stress Alleviation

by Ildikó Jócsák, Henrik Gyalog, Richárd Hoffmann and Katalin Somfalvi-Tóth

Plants 2022, 11(5), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11050640 - 26 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1931

Abstract

High temperature induces oxidative processes in wheat, the alleviation of which is promising using biostimulants. Priming has been used for enhancing stress tolerance of seedlings. However, the usage of biostimulants for priming is an unexplored area under either normal or stress conditions. Therefore, [...] Read more.

High temperature induces oxidative processes in wheat, the alleviation of which is promising using biostimulants. Priming has been used for enhancing stress tolerance of seedlings. However, the usage of biostimulants for priming is an unexplored area under either normal or stress conditions. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the heat stress alleviation capability of differentially applied biostimulant treatments on wheat seedlings. The investigation included stress parameters (fresh/dry weight ratio, chlorophyll content estimation, antioxidant capacity and lipid oxidation) combined with biophoton emission measurement, since with this latter non-invasive technique, it is possible to measure and elucidate in vivo stress conditions in real-time using lipid oxidation-related photon emissions. We confirmed that a single biostimulant pretreatment increased antioxidant capacity and decreased biophoton release and lipid oxidation, indicating the reduction of the harmful effects of heat stress. Therefore, biophoton emission proved to be suitable for detecting and imaging the effects of heat stress on wheat seedlings for the first time. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that biostimulant (p = 4.01 × 10⁻⁷) treatments, temperature (p = 9.07 × 10⁻⁸), and the interaction of the two factors (p = 2.07 × 10⁻⁵) had a significant effect on the overall count per second values of biophoton emission, predicting more efficient biostimulant utilization practices, even for seed priming purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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14 pages, 3980 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Molecular and Physiological Effects of Magnesium–Polyphenolic Compound as Biostimulant in Drought Stress Mitigation in Tomato

by Haytham Hamedeh, Shaula Antoni, Lorenzo Cocciaglia and Valentina Ciccolini

Plants 2022, 11(5), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11050586 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3063

Abstract

Plant biostimulants are being recognized as innovative tools to improve sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the drastic effects of climate change, which is leading to a severe reduction in agricultural yields. In this work, a new biostimulant (EnNuVi^® ALPAN^®) was [...] Read more.

Plant biostimulants are being recognized as innovative tools to improve sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the drastic effects of climate change, which is leading to a severe reduction in agricultural yields. In this work, a new biostimulant (EnNuVi^® ALPAN^®) was evaluated for its effectiveness on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill. cv. Rio Grande) plants subjected to water deficit conditions. The molecular effects were elucidated through transcriptomic RNA-seq and gene expression qPCR analysis and the physiological responses were evaluated through qualitative analysis of pigments and proline content, membrane stability, and lipid peroxidation. ALPAN^® was shown to adjust the transcriptional response by upregulating genes involved in source to sink carbohydrate metabolism and translocation, stomatal closure, and cell homeostasis. ALPAN^® was shown to mitigate the deteriorating effects of water deficit on the physiological status of the plants by stabilizing the levels of the photosynthetic pigments, regulating the accumulation of osmo-protectants, and preserving the cell wall lipid bilayer from oxidation. In conclusion, transcriptomic and physiological analysis provided insightful information on the biostimulant effects, indicating a positive role of ALPAN^® foliar application in alleviating the negative costs of water deficit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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16 pages, 2981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive In Silico Analysis and Transcriptional Profiles Highlight the Importance of Mitochondrial Dicarboxylate Carriers (DICs) on Hypoxia Response in Both Arabidopsis thaliana and Eucalyptus grandis

by Pedro Barreto, Mariana L. C. Arcuri, Rômulo Pedro Macêdo Lima, Celso Luis Marino and Ivan G. Maia

Plants 2022, 11(2), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11020181 - 11 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1797

Abstract

Plant dicarboxylate carriers (DICs) transport a wide range of dicarboxylates across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The Arabidopsis thalianaDIC family is composed of three genes (AtDIC1, 2 and 3), whereas two genes (EgDIC1 and EgDIC2) have been retrieved [...] Read more.

Plant dicarboxylate carriers (DICs) transport a wide range of dicarboxylates across the mitochondrial inner membrane. The Arabidopsis thalianaDIC family is composed of three genes (AtDIC1, 2 and 3), whereas two genes (EgDIC1 and EgDIC2) have been retrieved in Eucalyptus grandis. Here, by combining in silico and in planta analyses, we provide evidence that DICs are partially redundant, important in plant adaptation to environmental stresses and part of a low-oxygen response in both species. AtDIC1 and AtDIC2 are present in most plant species and have very similar gene structure, developmental expression patterns and absolute expression across natural Arabidopsis accessions. In contrast, AtDIC3 seems to be an early genome acquisition found in Brassicaceae and shows relatively low (or no) expression across these accessions. In silico analysis revealed that both AtDICs and EgDICs are highly responsive to stresses, especially to cold and submergence, while their promoters are enriched for stress-responsive transcription factors binding sites. The expression of AtDIC1 and AtDIC2 is highly correlated across natural accessions and in response to stresses, while no correlation was found for AtDIC3. Gene ontology enrichment analysis suggests a role for AtDIC1 and AtDIC2 in response to hypoxia, and for AtDIC3 in phosphate starvation. Accordingly, the investigated genes are induced by submergence stress in A. thaliana and E. grandis while AtDIC2 overexpression improved seedling survival to submergence. Interestingly, the induction of AtDIC1 and AtDIC2 is abrogated in the erfVII mutant that is devoid of plant oxygen sensing, suggesting that these genes are part of a conserved hypoxia response in Arabidopsis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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24 pages, 3321 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Manipulation of the miR396 and miR399 Expression Modules Alters the Response of Arabidopsis thaliana to Phosphate Stress

by Joseph L. Pegler, Duc Quan Nguyen, Jackson M. J. Oultram, Christopher P. L. Grof and Andrew L. Eamens

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2570; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122570 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2246

Abstract

In plant cells, the molecular and metabolic processes of nucleic acid synthesis, phospholipid production, coenzyme activation and the generation of the vast amount of chemical energy required to drive these processes relies on an adequate supply of the essential macronutrient, phosphorous (P). The [...] Read more.

In plant cells, the molecular and metabolic processes of nucleic acid synthesis, phospholipid production, coenzyme activation and the generation of the vast amount of chemical energy required to drive these processes relies on an adequate supply of the essential macronutrient, phosphorous (P). The requirement of an appropriate level of P in plant cells is evidenced by the intricately linked molecular mechanisms of P sensing, signaling and transport. One such mechanism is the posttranscriptional regulation of the P response pathway by the highly conserved plant microRNA (miRNA), miR399. In addition to miR399, numerous other plant miRNAs are also required to respond to environmental stress, including miR396. Here, we exposed Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) transformant lines which harbor molecular modifications to the miR396 and miR399 expression modules to phosphate (PO₄) starvation. We show that molecular alteration of either miR396 or miR399 abundance afforded the Arabidopsis transformant lines different degrees of tolerance to PO₄ starvation. Furthermore, RT-qPCR assessment of PO₄-starved miR396 and miR399 transformants revealed that the tolerance displayed by these plant lines to this form of abiotic stress most likely stemmed from the altered expression of the target genes of these two miRNAs. Therefore, this study forms an early step towards the future development of molecularly modified plant lines which possess a degree of tolerance to growth in a PO₄ deficient environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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10 pages, 1481 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Non-Invasive Approach in the Assessment of Stress Phenomena and Impairment Values in Pea Seeds Caused by Pea Weevil

by Sándor Keszthelyi, Dániel Fajtai, Zsolt Pónya, Katalin Somfalvi-Tóth and Tamás Donkó

Plants 2021, 10(7), 1470; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071470 - 18 Jul 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1783

Abstract

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important leguminous plant worldwide, in which pests trigger significant damage every year. One of the most important pest is pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum, L) which causes covert damage in crops. In the present study, [...] Read more.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important leguminous plant worldwide, in which pests trigger significant damage every year. One of the most important pest is pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum, L) which causes covert damage in crops. In the present study, our aim was to obtain precise information pertaining to the extent and the nature of damage in pea caused by B. pisorum by means of non-invasive imaging methods. The infested pea samples were analysed by an infrared thermometer and a bioluminescence plant imaging system as well as a computer tomograph under laboratory conditions. The calculated weight of organic matter destroyed by the developing larvae was 36.46%. The changing of RGB (red, blue, green) codes obtained through thermal imaging and the CPS (counts per second) values originating from bioluminescence imaging in infested samples were statistically verifiable. According to our CT assay, the damage caused by B. pisorum changed the tissue density, volume and shape of the pea seeds by the end of the development of the pest. The results of thermal and bioluminescence imaging contribute to a better understanding of the internal chemical processes and the CT analysis helps to understand the alteration trends of the inner structure of seeds caused by this pest. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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15 pages, 10392 KiB

Open AccessArticle

NF-YB-Mediated Active Responses of Plant Growth under Salt and Temperature Stress in Eucalyptus grandis

by Jia-Hao Dai, An-Qi Hu, Jia-Shuo Zhang, Wen-Hai Liao, Hua-Yan Ma, Jin-Zhang Wu, Yuan Yu and Shi-Jiang Cao

Plants 2021, 10(6), 1107; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061107 - 31 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2680

Abstract

The transcription factor NF-YB (nuclear factor-YB) family is a subfamily of the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y), which plays an important role in regulating plant growth, development and participates in various stress responses. Although the NF-Y family has been studied in many species, it [...] Read more.

The transcription factor NF-YB (nuclear factor-YB) family is a subfamily of the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y), which plays an important role in regulating plant growth, development and participates in various stress responses. Although the NF-Y family has been studied in many species, it is still obscure in Eucalyptus grandis. In this study, 23 EgNF-YB genes in eucalyptus were identified and unevenly distributed on 11 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed the EgNF-YB genes were divided into two clades, LEC-1 type and non-LEC1 type. The evolution of distinct clades was relatively conservative, the gene structures were analogous, and the differences of genetic structures among clades were small. The expression profiles showed that the distinct EgNF-YB genes were highly expressed in diverse tissues, and EgNF-YB4/6/13/19/23 functioned in response to salinity, heat and cold stresses. Our study characterized the phylogenetic relationship, gene structures and expression patterns of EgNF-YB gene family and investigated their potential roles in abiotic stress responses, which provides solid foundations for further functional analysis of NF-YB genes in eucalyptus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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Review

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23 pages, 2489 KiB

Open AccessReview

Literature Review on the Effects of Heavy Metal Stress and Alleviating Possibilities through Exogenously Applied Agents in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

by Ildikó Jócsák, Bence Knolmajer, Miklós Szarvas, Gyula Rabnecz and Ferenc Pál-Fám

Plants 2022, 11(16), 2161; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11162161 - 20 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3658

Abstract

Heavy metals (HMs) are among the most important toxic agents since they reach the soil through various routes and accumulate in the food chain. Therefore, HMs induce problems in soil integrity and in plant, animal, and human health. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) [...] Read more.

Heavy metals (HMs) are among the most important toxic agents since they reach the soil through various routes and accumulate in the food chain. Therefore, HMs induce problems in soil integrity and in plant, animal, and human health. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a significant crop worldwide, utilized in animal production. Furthermore, because of its nitrogen-absorbing ability via symbiotic strains of bacteria, it increases soil productivity. However, there are relatively few studies investigating the effects of HMs and their alleviation possibilities on alfalfa plants. Therefore, the goal of this review is to clarify the current state of research into HM-induced alterations in alfalfa and to determine the extent to which externally applied microorganisms and chemical compounds can mitigate the negative effects. The aim is to indicate areas of development towards further understanding of HM detoxification in alfalfa and to identify future research directions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Alleviation in Plants: From Molecular to Ecophysiological Aspects)

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