Future climate CO2 can harness ROS homeostasis and improve cell wall fortification to alleviate the hazardous effect of Phelipanche infection in pea seedlings

The pleiotropic role of Salinicoccus bacteria in enhancing ROS homeostasis and detoxification metabolism in soybean and oat to cope with pollution of triclosan

Triclosan has been extensively used as a preservative in cosmetics and personal care products. However, its accumulation represents a real environmental threat. Thus, its phytotoxic impact needs more consideration. Our study was conducted to highlight the phytotoxic effect of triclosan on the growth, ROS homeostasis, and detoxification metabolism of two different plant species i.e., legumes (Glycine max) and grass (Avena sativa). Moreover, we investigated the potentiality of plant growth-promoting bacteria (ST-PGPB) in mitigating the phytotoxic effect of triclosan. Triclosan induced biomass (fresh and dry weights) reduction in both plants, but to a higher extent in oats. This decline was associated with a noticeable increment in the oxidative damage (e.g., MDA and H2O2) and detoxification metabolites such as metallothionein (MTC), phytochelatins (PCs), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). This elevation was associated with a remarkable reduction in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. On the other hand, the bioactive strain of ST-PGPB, Salinicoccus sp. JzA1 significantly alleviated the harmful effect of triclosan on both soybean and oat plants by enhancing their biomass, photosynthesis, as well as levels of minerals (K, Ca, P, Mn, and Zn). In parallel, a striking quenching in oxidative damage and an obvious improvement in non-enzymatic (polyphenols, tocopherols, flavonoids) and enzymatic antioxidants were observed. Furthermore, Salinicoccus sp. JzA1 augmented the detoxification metabolism by enhancing the levels of phytochelatins, metallothionein, and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in a species-specific manner which is more apparent in soybean rather than in oat plants. To this end, stress mitigating impact of Salinicoccus sp. JzA1 provides a basis to improve the resilience of crop species under cosmetics and personal care products toxicity.

Elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and plant immunity to fungal pathogens: do the risks outweigh the benefits?

Anthropogenic emissions have caused atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to double since the industrial revolution. Although this could benefit plant growth from the 'CO2 fertilisation' effect, recent studies report conflicting impacts of elevated CO2 (eCO2) on plant-pathogen interactions. Fungal pathogens are the leading cause of plant disease. Since climate change has been shown to affect the distribution and virulence of these pathogens, it is important to understand how their plant hosts may also respond. This review assesses existing reports of positive, negative, and neutral effects of eCO2 on plant immune responses to fungal pathogen infection. The interaction between eCO2 and immunity appears specific to individual pathosystems, dependent on environmental context and driven by the interactions between plant defence mechanisms, suggesting no universal effect can be predicted for the future. This research is vital for assessing how plants may become more at risk under climate change and could help to guide biotechnological efforts to enhance resistance in vulnerable species. Despite the importance of understanding the effects of eCO2 on plant immunity for protecting global food security, biodiversity, and forests in a changing climate, many plant-pathogen interactions are yet to be investigated. In addition, further research into the effects of eCO2 in combination with other environmental factors associated with climate change is needed. In this review, we highlight the risks of eCO2 to plants and point to the research required to address current unknowns.

Elevated CO2 Can Improve the Tolerance of Avena sativa to Cope with Zirconium Pollution by Enhancing ROS Homeostasis

Zirconium (Zr) is one of the toxic metals that are heavily incorporated into the ecosystem due to intensive human activities. Their accumulation in the ecosystem disrupts the food chain, causing undesired alterations. Despite Zr's phytotoxicity, its impact on plant growth and redox status remains unclear, particularly if combined with elevated CO2 (eCO2). Therefore, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that eCO2 can alleviate the phytotoxic impact of Zr upon oat (Avena sativa) plants by enhancing their growth and redox homeostasis. A complete randomized block experimental design (CRBD) was applied to test our hypothesis. Generally, contamination with Zr strikingly diminished the biomass and photosynthetic efficiency of oat plants. Accordingly, contamination with Zr triggered remarkable oxidative damage in oat plants, with concomitant alteration in the antioxidant defense system of oat plants. Contrarily, elevated levels of CO2 (eCO2) significantly mitigated the adverse effect of Zr upon both fresh and dry weights as well as the photosynthesis of oat plants. The improved photosynthesis consequently quenched the oxidative damage caused by Zr by reducing the levels of both H2O2 and MDA. Moreover, eCO2 augmented the total antioxidant capacity with the concomitant accumulation of molecular antioxidants (e.g., polyphenols, flavonoids). In addition, eCO2 not only improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) but also boosted the ASC/GSH metabolic pool that plays a pivotal role in regulating redox homeostasis in plant cells. In this regard, our research offers a novel perspective by delving into the previously unexplored realm of the alleviative effects of eCO2. It sheds light on how eCO2 distinctively mitigates oxidative stress induced by Zr, achieving this by orchestrating adjustments to the redox balance within oat plants.

CO2 Enrichment Differentially Upregulated Sugar, Proline, and Polyamine Metabolism in Young and Old Leaves of Wheat and Sorghum to Mitigate Indium Oxide Nanoparticles Toxicity

Soil contamination with indium oxide nanoparticles (In₂O₃-NPs) is a challenge for plant growth and productivity. Despite In₂O₃-NPs toxicity, their effects on plant growth and metabolism are largely unknown, particularly under future climate CO₂ (eCO₂). Therefore, the In₂O₃-NPs toxicity and stress mitigating impact of eCO₂ in the young and old leaves of C3 (wheat) and C4 (sorghum) plants were investigated. Overall, In₂O₃-NPs significantly retard the biomass and photosynthetic machinery of all tested crops, particularly the young leaves of C3 plants. Consequently, In₂O₃-NPs altered C and N metabolism in C3 and C4 plants. On the other hand, eCO₂ contrarily alleviated the hazardous effects of In₂O₃-NPs on growth and photosynthesis, especially in the young leaves of C4 plants. Increased photosynthesis consequently enhanced the soluble sugars' accumulation and metabolism (e.g., sucrose P synthase, cytosolic, and vacuolar invertase) in all stressed plants, but to a greater extent in C4 young leaves. High sugar availability also induced TCA organic and fatty acids' accumulation. This also provided a route for amino acids and polyamines biosynthesis, where a clear increase in proline biosynthetic enzymes [e.g., pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDH), and proline dehydrogenase (PRODH)] and polyamine metabolic enzymes (e.g., spermine and spermidine synthases, ornithine decarboxylase, and adenosyl methionine decarboxylase) were mainly recorded in C4 young leaves. The observed increases in these metabolites involved in osmo- and redox-regulation to reduce In₂O₃-NPs induced oxidative damage. Overall, our study, for the first time, shed light on how eCO₂ differentially mitigated In₂O₃-NPs stress in old and young leaves of different species groups under the threat of In₂O₃-NPs contamination.

Elevated CO2 Differentially Mitigated Oxidative Stress Induced by Indium Oxide Nanoparticles in Young and Old Leaves of C3 and C4 Crops

Soil contamination with indium (In) oxide nanoparticles (In2O3-NPs) threatens plant growth and development. However, their toxicity in plants under ambient (aCO2) and elevated (eCO2) conditions is scarcely studied. To this end, this study was conducted to investigate In2O3-NPs toxicity in the young and old leaves of C3 (barley) and C4 (maize) plants and to understand the mechanisms underlying the stress mitigating impact of eCO2. Treatment of C3 and C4 plants with In2O3-NPs significantly reduced growth and photosynthesis, induced oxidative damage (H2O2, lipid peroxidation), and impaired P and Fe homeostasis, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. On the other hand, this phytotoxic hazard was mitigated by eCO2 which improved both C3 and C4 growth, decreased In accumulation and increased phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) uptake, particularly in the young leaves of C4 plants. Moreover, the improved photosynthesis by eCO2 accordingly enhanced carbon availability under the challenge of In2O3-NPs that were directed to the elevated production of metabolites involved in antioxidant and detoxification systems. Our physiological and biochemical analyses implicated the role of the antioxidant defenses, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) in stress mitigation under eCO2. This was validated by studying the effect of In2O3-stress on a transgenic maize line (TG) constitutively overexpressing the AtFeSOD gene and its wild type (WT). Although it did not alter In accumulation, the TG plants showed improved growth and photosynthesis and reduced oxidative damage. Overall, this work demonstrated that C3 was more sensitive to In2O3-NPs stress; however, C4 plants were more responsive to eCO2. Moreover, it demonstrated the role of SOD in determining the hazardous effect of In2O3-NPs.