Plants

2024

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2020

15 pages, 2477 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Morphological Changes to Fruit Development Induced by GA₃ Application in Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.)

by Edoardo Vignati, Mario Caccamo, Jim M. Dunwell and Andrew J. Simkin

Plants 2024, 13(15), 2052; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152052 - 25 Jul 2024

Viewed by 868

Abstract

Cherry (Prunus avium) fruits are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the human diet; however, they contain a large stone, making them inconvenient to eat ‘on the move’ and process. The exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA₃) [...] Read more.

Cherry (Prunus avium) fruits are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the human diet; however, they contain a large stone, making them inconvenient to eat ‘on the move’ and process. The exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA₃) can induce parthenocarpy in a variety of fruits during development. Here, we showed that the application of GA₃ to sweet cherry unpollinated pistils acted as a trigger for fruit set and permitted the normal formation of fruit up to a period of twenty-eight days, indicating that gibberellins are involved in the activation of the cell cycle in the ovary wall cells, leading to fruit initiation. However, after this period, fruit development ceased and developing fruit began to be excised from the branch by 35 days post treatment. This work also showed that additional signals are required for the continued development of fully mature parthenocarpic fruit in sweet cherry. Full article

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14 pages, 4241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proline Metabolism Genes in Transgenic Plants: Meta-Analysis under Drought and Salt Stress

by Marco Renzetti, Elisa Bertolini and Maurizio Trovato

Plants 2024, 13(14), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13141913 - 11 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1396

Abstract

The amino acid proline accumulates in plants during abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity and is considered a reliable marker of environmental stress. While its accumulation is well established, its precise role in stress tolerance and its underlying molecular mechanism remain less [...] Read more.

The amino acid proline accumulates in plants during abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity and is considered a reliable marker of environmental stress. While its accumulation is well established, its precise role in stress tolerance and its underlying molecular mechanism remain less clear. To address these issues, we performed a meta-analysis—a robust statistical technique that synthesizes results from multiple independent studies while accounting for experimental differences. We focused on 16 physiological and morphological parameters affected by drought and salt stress in transgenic plants expressing proline metabolic genes. For each parameter, we calculated the effect size as the response ratio (

\frac{R}{R}

), which represents the logarithm of the mean value in the transgenic group over the mean value of the control group (

\ln \frac{R}{R}

). Under stress, most parameters exhibited significantly higher response ratios in the transgenic group, confirming the beneficial effects of proline during drought and salt stress. Surprisingly, under non-stressed conditions, most stress markers showed no significant differences between transgenic and non-transgenic plants, despite elevated proline levels in the former. These results suggest that the benefits of proline may be related to proline catabolism or may only become apparent during stress, possibly due to interactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accumulate predominantly under stress conditions. Full article

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14 pages, 2160 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptation Strategies of Seedling Root Response to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Addition

by Xing Jin, Jing Zhu, Xin Wei, Qianru Xiao, Jingyu Xiao, Lan Jiang, Daowei Xu, Caixia Shen, Jinfu Liu and Zhongsheng He

Plants 2024, 13(4), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13040536 - 15 Feb 2024

Viewed by 2724

Abstract

The escalation of global nitrogen deposition levels has heightened the inhibitory impact of phosphorus limitation on plant growth in subtropical forests. Plant roots area particularly sensitive tissue to nitrogen and phosphorus elements. Changes in the morphological characteristics of plant roots signify alterations in [...] Read more.

The escalation of global nitrogen deposition levels has heightened the inhibitory impact of phosphorus limitation on plant growth in subtropical forests. Plant roots area particularly sensitive tissue to nitrogen and phosphorus elements. Changes in the morphological characteristics of plant roots signify alterations in adaptive strategies. However, our understanding of resource-use strategies of roots in this environment remains limited. In this study, we conducted a 10-month experiment at the Castanopsis kawakamii Nature Reserve to evaluate the response of traits of seedling roots (such as specific root length, average diameter, nitrogen content, and phosphorus content) to nitrogen and phosphorus addition. The aim was to reveal the adaptation strategies of roots in different nitrogen and phosphorus addition concentrations. The results showed that: (1) The single phosphorus and nitrogen–phosphorus interaction addition increased the specific root length, surface area, and root phosphorus content. In addition, single nitrogen addition promotes an increase in the average root diameter. (2) Non-nitrogen phosphorus addition and single nitrogen addition tended to adopt a conservative resource-use strategy to maintain growth under low phosphorus conditions. (3) Under the single phosphorus addition and interactive addition of phosphorus and nitrogen, the roots adopted an acquisitive resource-use strategy to obtain more available phosphorus resources. Accordingly, the adaptation strategy of seedling roots can be regulated by adding appropriate concentrations of nitrogen or phosphorus, thereby promoting the natural regeneration of subtropical forests. Full article

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2023

Jump to: 2024, 2022, 2020

14 pages, 2037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chemical Composition in Juvenile and Mature Wood of Branch and Main Trunk of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit

by Pramod Sivan, Karumanchi S. Rao and Kishore S. Rajput

Plants 2023, 12(23), 3977; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233977 - 26 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1346

Abstract

Secondary growth is the most dynamic developmental aspect during the terrestrialization of plants. The development of secondary xylem tissue composed of thick-walled cells with characteristic changes in its structure and chemistry facilitates the growth and development of woody plants. In the present study, [...] Read more.

Secondary growth is the most dynamic developmental aspect during the terrestrialization of plants. The development of secondary xylem tissue composed of thick-walled cells with characteristic changes in its structure and chemistry facilitates the growth and development of woody plants. In the present study, the chemical composition of the secondary xylem of juvenile and mature wood from the branch and main trunk of Leucaena leucocephala, has been investigated and the differences established. The biochemical analysis of different cell wall components in the mature wood of the main trunk revealed high holocellulose and α-cellulose and less lignin content in the juvenile wood while its syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio was less than for the mature wood. As compared to the branch xylem, concentration of cell wall polysaccharides and lignin content was higher in both juvenile and mature wood collected from the main trunk. Thioacidolysis and GC-MS analysis of wood lignin from juvenile and mature wood showed that an increased concentration in lignin content in mature wood is associated with a corresponding increase in S/G ratio. The structural information of the acetylated lignin was investigated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Our results indicate that the mature wood from the main trunk is superior in pulp yielding and lignin degradability as compared to the juvenile wood of the branch and trunk. Full article

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11 pages, 2569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Radish Health during Space Cultivation by Gene Transcription

by Karl H. Hasenstein, Susan P. John and Joshua P. Vandenbrink

Plants 2023, 12(19), 3458; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193458 - 30 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1440

Abstract

During the Advanced Plant Habitat experiment 2, radish plants were grown in two successive grow-outs on the International Space Station (ISS) for 27 days each. On days 10, 18, and 24, leaf punch (LP) samples were collected and frozen. At harvest, bulb tissue [...] Read more.

During the Advanced Plant Habitat experiment 2, radish plants were grown in two successive grow-outs on the International Space Station (ISS) for 27 days each. On days 10, 18, and 24, leaf punch (LP) samples were collected and frozen. At harvest, bulb tissue was sampled with oligo-dT functionalized Solid Phase Gene Extraction (SPGE) probes. The space samples were compared with samples from ground controls (GC) grown at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) under the same conditions as on the ISS, with notably elevated CO₂ (about 2500 ppm), and from lab plants grown under atmospheric CO₂ but with light and temperature conditions similar to the KSC control. Genes corresponding to peroxidase (RPP), glucosinolate biosynthesis (GIS), protein binding (CBP), myrosinase (RMA), napin (RSN), and ubiquitin (UBQ) were measured by qPCR. LP from day 24 and bulb samples collected at harvest were compared with RNA-seq data from material that was harvested, frozen, and analyzed after return to Earth. The results showed stable transcription in LP samples in GC but decreasing values in ISS samples during both grow-outs, possibly indicative of stress. SPGE results were similar between GC and ISS samples. However, the RNA-seq analyses showed different transcription profiles than SPGE or LP results, possibly related to localized sampling. RNA-seq of leaf samples showed greater variety than LP data, possibly because of different sampling times. RSN and RPP showed the lowest transcription regardless of method. Temporal analyses showed relatively small changes during plant development in space and in ground controls. This is the first study that compares developmental changes in space-grown plants with ground controls based on a comparison between RNA-seq and qPCR analyses. Full article

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25 pages, 2270 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plants and Small Molecules: An Up-and-Coming Synergy

by A. Lepri, C. Longo, A. Messore, H. Kazmi, V. N. Madia, R. Di Santo, R. Costi and P. Vittorioso

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081729 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2187

Abstract

The emergence of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system has led to a rapid and wide improvement in molecular genetics techniques for studying gene function and regulation. However, there are still several drawbacks that cannot be easily solved with molecular genetic approaches, such [...] Read more.

The emergence of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system has led to a rapid and wide improvement in molecular genetics techniques for studying gene function and regulation. However, there are still several drawbacks that cannot be easily solved with molecular genetic approaches, such as the study of unfriendly species, which are of increasing agronomic interest but are not easily transformed, thus are not prone to many molecular techniques. Chemical genetics represents a methodology able to fill this gap. Chemical genetics lies between chemistry and biology and relies on small molecules to phenocopy genetic mutations addressing specific targets. Advances in recent decades have greatly improved both target specificity and activity, expanding the application of this approach to any biological process. As for classical genetics, chemical genetics also proceeds with a forward or reverse approach depending on the nature of the study. In this review, we addressed this topic in the study of plant photomorphogenesis, stress responses and epigenetic processes. We have dealt with some cases of repurposing compounds whose activity has been previously proven in human cells and, conversely, studies where plants have been a tool for the characterization of small molecules. In addition, we delved into the chemical synthesis and improvement of some of the compounds described. Full article

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25 pages, 9230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

by David Legland, Thang Duong Quoc Le, Camille Alvarado, Christine Girousse and Anne-Laure Chateigner-Boutin

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051038 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2317

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops as it provides 20% of calories and proteins to the human population. To overcome the increasing demand in wheat grain production, there is a need for a higher grain yield, and [...] Read more.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops as it provides 20% of calories and proteins to the human population. To overcome the increasing demand in wheat grain production, there is a need for a higher grain yield, and this can be achieved in particular through an increase in the grain weight. Moreover, grain shape is an important trait regarding the milling performance. Both the final grain weight and shape would benefit from a comprehensive knowledge of the morphological and anatomical determinism of wheat grain growth. Synchrotron-based phase-contrast X-ray microtomography (X-ray µCT) was used to study the 3D anatomy of the growing wheat grain during the first developmental stages. Coupled with 3D reconstruction, this method revealed changes in the grain shape and new cellular features. The study focused on a particular tissue, the pericarp, which has been hypothesized to be involved in the control of grain development. We showed considerable spatio-temporal diversity in cell shape and orientations, and in tissue porosity associated with stomata detection. These results highlight the growth-related features rarely studied in cereal grains, which may contribute significantly to the final grain weight and shape. Full article

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17 pages, 3467 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seed Germination of Three Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.) Populations of Greek Origin: Temperature, Duration, and Storage Conditions Effects

by Vasiliki Liava, Georgia Ntatsi and Anestis Karkanis

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051025 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2401

Abstract

Milk thistle besides being a highly competitive weed is cultivated as a medicinal plant, and the seeds of which have been clinically utilized in several disorders caused in liver. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of duration and storage conditions, population, [...] Read more.

Milk thistle besides being a highly competitive weed is cultivated as a medicinal plant, and the seeds of which have been clinically utilized in several disorders caused in liver. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of duration and storage conditions, population, and temperature on seed germination. The experiment was conducted in Petri dishes with three replications and three factors: (a) wild populations of milk thistle (Palaionterveno, Mesopotamia, and Spata) originating from Greece, (b) duration and storage conditions (5 months at room temperature, 17 months at room temperature, and 29 months in the freezer at −18 °C), and (c) temperature (5 °C, 10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C). All three factors significantly affected germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), germination index (GI), radicle length (RL), and hypocotyl length (HL) and significant interactions among the treatments were noted. In specific, no seed germination was recorded at 5 °C, while the populations showed higher GP and GI at 20 °C and 25 °C after 5 months of storage. Prolonged storage negatively affected seed germination although, cold storage mitigated this effect. Moreover, higher temperatures reduced MGT and increased RL and HL with the populations reacting differently in storage and temperature regimes. The results of this study should be taken into consideration when proposing the appropriate sowing date and storage conditions of the seeds used as propagation material for crop establishment. Moreover, the effects of low temperatures such as 5 °C or 10 °C on seed germination as well as the high decline rate in germination percentage over time could be utilized in the design of integrated weed management systems thereby indicating the importance of the sowing time and the suitable crop rotation system to weed control. Full article

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20 pages, 6715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Saline Stress Impairs Lipid Storage Mobilization during Germination in Eruca sativa

by Emilio Corti, Sara Falsini, Silvia Schiff, Corrado Tani, Cristina Gonnelli and Alessio Papini

Plants 2023, 12(2), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020366 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1879

Abstract

Soil salinization become worse in the last decades, leading to reduced crop yields, especially in the Mediterranean basin. Eruca sativa is a common species cultivated in this area with remarkable economic importance. This study aimed at investigating the effect of salinity on this [...] Read more.

Soil salinization become worse in the last decades, leading to reduced crop yields, especially in the Mediterranean basin. Eruca sativa is a common species cultivated in this area with remarkable economic importance. This study aimed at investigating the effect of salinity on this plant, focusing on (i) seedling development in terms of variations in germination and growth parameters and (ii) anatomical and ultra-structural changes in the morphology of cotyledons. For this reason, seeds were treated with different salinity levels ranging from 137 to 548 mM NaCl. Seed germination was delayed by all the concentrations tested, but only above 137 mM seedling growth was impaired. Results showed a high occurrence of lipid bodies within the mesophyll cells of cotyledons of seedlings exposed to salt concentrations above 137 mM, suggesting an impairment in lipid mobilization caused by salinity during plant development. The cotyledons of treated seedlings showed reduced intercellular spaces and ultrastructural changes in chloroplasts and peroxisomes. Moreover, salt-induced autophagic processes were present in samples grown at the highest NaCl levels. Interestingly, at 137 mM NaCl, seedlings showed the highest values of mesophyll thickness and fresh weight, implying a possible mechanism of salt adaptation during germination. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2020

20 pages, 4552 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Outline of Seed Silhouettes: A Morphological Approach to Silene (Caryophyllaceae)

by José Javier Martín-Gómez, José Luis Rodríguez-Lorenzo, Ángel Tocino, Bohuslav Janoušek, Ana Juan and Emilio Cervantes

Plants 2022, 11(23), 3383; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11233383 - 5 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2417

Abstract

Seed morphology is an important source of information for plant taxonomy. Nevertheless, the characters under study are diverse, and a simple, unified method is lacking in the literature. A new method for the classification of seeds of the genus Silene based on optical [...] Read more.

Seed morphology is an important source of information for plant taxonomy. Nevertheless, the characters under study are diverse, and a simple, unified method is lacking in the literature. A new method for the classification of seeds of the genus Silene based on optical images and image analysis has recently been described on the basis of morphological measurements of the lateral seed views. According to the outline of their silhouettes, seeds from 52 species (49 of Silene and three related species) were classified in three groups: smooth, rugose and echinate, revealing remarkable differences between these groups. This methodology has been applied here to 51 new species, making a total of 100 species of Silene analyzed so far. According to our data, a new group was described, termed papillose. The results showed morphological differences between the four mentioned seed groups, with reduced values of circularity for dorsal and lateral seed views in the papillose and echinate groups and reduced values of solidity in the papillose seeds. The method was applied to the analysis of individual as well as to average seed silhouettes and some of the differences between groups were maintained in both cases. Full article

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14 pages, 1874 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Proline Affects Flowering Time in Arabidopsis by Modulating FLC Expression: A Clue of Epigenetic Regulation?

by Roberto Mattioli, Antonio Francioso and Maurizio Trovato

Plants 2022, 11(18), 2348; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11182348 - 8 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2440

Abstract

The recent finding that proline-induced root elongation is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) prompted us to re-evaluate other developmental processes modulated by proline, such as flowering time. By controlling the cellular redox status and the ROS distribution, proline could potentially affect the [...] Read more.

The recent finding that proline-induced root elongation is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) prompted us to re-evaluate other developmental processes modulated by proline, such as flowering time. By controlling the cellular redox status and the ROS distribution, proline could potentially affect the expression of transcriptional factors subjected to epigenetic regulation, such as FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). Accordingly, we investigated the effect of proline on flowering time in more detail by analyzing the relative expression of the main flowering time genes in p5cs1 p5cs2/P5CS2 proline-deficient mutants and found a significant upregulation of FLC expression. Moreover, proline-deficient mutants exhibited an adult vegetative phase shorter than wild-type samples, with a trichome distribution reminiscent of plants with high FLC expression. In addition, the vernalization-induced downregulation of FLC abolished the flowering delay of p5cs1 p5cs2/P5CS2, and mutants homozygous for p5cs1 and flc-7 and heterozygous for P5CS2 flowered as early as the flc-7 parental mutant, indicating that FLC acts downstream of P5CS1/P5CS2 and is necessary for proline-modulated flowering. The overall data indicate that the effects of proline on flowering time are mediated by FLC. Full article

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23 pages, 4310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interplay between Proline Metabolism and ROS in the Fine Tuning of Root-Meristem Size in Arabidopsis

by Sara Bauduin, Martina Latini, Irene Belleggia, Marta Migliore, Marco Biancucci, Roberto Mattioli, Antonio Francioso, Luciana Mosca, Dietmar Funck and Maurizio Trovato

Plants 2022, 11(11), 1512; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11111512 - 5 Jun 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3369

Abstract

We previously reported that proline modulates root meristem size in Arabidopsis by controlling the ratio between cell division and cell differentiation. Here, we show that proline metabolism affects the levels of superoxide anion (O₂^•−) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O [...] Read more.

We previously reported that proline modulates root meristem size in Arabidopsis by controlling the ratio between cell division and cell differentiation. Here, we show that proline metabolism affects the levels of superoxide anion (O₂^•−) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), which, in turn, modulate root meristem size and root elongation. We found that hydrogen peroxide plays a major role in proline-mediated root elongation, and its effects largely overlap those induced by proline, influencing root meristem size, root elongation, and cell cycle. Though a combination of genetic and pharmacological evidence, we showed that the short-root phenotype of the proline-deficient p5cs1 p5cs2/P5CS2, an Arabidopsis mutant homozygous for p5cs1 and heterozygous for p5cs2, is caused by H₂O₂ accumulation and is fully rescued by an effective H₂O₂ scavenger. Furthermore, by studying Arabidopsis mutants devoid of ProDH activity, we disclosed the essential role of this enzyme in the modulation of root meristem size as the main enzyme responsible for H₂O₂ production during proline degradation. Proline itself, on the contrary, may not be able to directly control the levels of H₂O₂, although it seems able to enhance the enzymatic activity of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), the two most effective scavengers of H₂O₂ in plant cells. We propose a model in which proline metabolism participates in a delicate antioxidant network to balance H₂O₂ formation and degradation and fine-tune root meristem size in Arabidopsis. Full article

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2020

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2022

17 pages, 8052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automatic Stomatal Segmentation Based on Delaunay-Rayleigh Frequency Distance

by Miguel Carrasco, Patricio A. Toledo, Ramiro Velázquez and Odemir M. Bruno

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1613; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111613 - 20 Nov 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3522

Abstract

The CO₂ and water vapor exchange between leaf and atmosphere are relevant for plant physiology. This process is done through the stomata. These structures are fundamental in the study of plants since their properties are linked to the evolutionary process of the [...] Read more.

The CO₂ and water vapor exchange between leaf and atmosphere are relevant for plant physiology. This process is done through the stomata. These structures are fundamental in the study of plants since their properties are linked to the evolutionary process of the plant, as well as its environmental and phytohormonal conditions. Stomatal detection is a complex task due to the noise and morphology of the microscopic images. Although in recent years segmentation algorithms have been developed that automate this process, they all use techniques that explore chromatic characteristics. This research explores a unique feature in plants, which corresponds to the stomatal spatial distribution within the leaf structure. Unlike segmentation techniques based on deep learning tools, we emphasize the search for an optimal threshold level, so that a high percentage of stomata can be detected, independent of the size and shape of the stomata. This last feature has not been reported in the literature, except for those results of geometric structure formation in the salt formation and other biological formations. Full article

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