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Javaid MH, Chen N, Yasin MU, Fan X, Neelam A, Rehman M, Haider Z, Bukhari SAH, Munir R, Ahmad I, Gan Y. Green-synthesized lignin nanoparticles enhance Zea mays resilience to salt stress by improving antioxidant metabolism and mitigating ultrastructural damage. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 359:142337. [PMID: 38754490 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Soil salinity poses a substantial threat to agricultural productivity, resulting in far-reaching consequences. Green-synthesized lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as significant biopolymers which effectively promote sustainable crop production and enhance abiotic stress tolerance. However, the defensive role and underlying mechanisms of LNPs against salt stress in Zea mays remain unexplored. The present study aims to elucidate two aspects: firstly, the synthesis of lignin nanoparticles from alkali lignin, which were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX). The results confirmed the purity and morphology of LNPs. Secondly, the utilization of LNPs (200 mg/L) in nano priming to alleviate the adverse effects of NaCl (150 mM) on Zea mays seedlings. LNPs significantly reduced the accumulation of Na+ (17/21%) and MDA levels (21/28%) in shoots/roots while increased lignin absorption (30/31%), resulting in improved photosynthetic performance and plant growth. Moreover, LNPs substantially improved plant biomass, antioxidant enzymatic activities and upregulated the expression of salt-tolerant genes (ZmNHX3 (1.52 & 2.81 FC), CBL (2.83 & 3.28 FC), ZmHKT1 (2.09 & 4.87 FC) and MAPK1 (3.50 & 2.39 FC) in both shoot and root tissues. Additionally, SEM and TEM observations of plant tissues confirmed the pivotal role of LNPs in mitigating NaCl-induced stress by reducing damages to guard cells, stomata and ultra-cellular structures. Overall, our findings highlight the efficacy of LNPs as a practical and cost-effective approach to alleviate NaCl-induced stress in Zea mays plants. These results offer a sustainable agri-environmental strategy for mitigating salt toxicity and enhancing crop production in saline environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Haseeb Javaid
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Nana Chen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Muhammad Umair Yasin
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xingming Fan
- Institute of Food Crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Asifa Neelam
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rehman
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zulqarnain Haider
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Syed Asad Hussain Bukhari
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan
| | - Raheel Munir
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Irshan Ahmad
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yinbo Gan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Li Y, Ye H, Vuong TD, Zhou L, Do TD, Satish Chhapekar S, Zhao W, Li B, Jin T, Gu J, Li C, Chen Y, Li Y, Wang ZY, Nguyen HT. A novel natural variation in the promoter of GmCHX1 regulates conditional gene expression to improve salt tolerance in soybean. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:1051-1062. [PMID: 37864556 PMCID: PMC10837011 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Identification and characterization of soybean germplasm and gene(s)/allele(s) for salt tolerance is an effective way to develop improved varieties for saline soils. Previous studies identified GmCHX1 (Glyma03g32900) as a major salt tolerance gene in soybean, and two main functional variations were found in the promoter region (148/150 bp insertion) and the third exon with a retrotransposon insertion (3.78 kb). In the current study, we identified four salt-tolerant soybean lines, including PI 483460B (Glycine soja), carrying the previously identified salt-sensitive variations at GmCHX1, suggesting new gene(s) or new functional allele(s) of GmCHX1 in these soybean lines. Subsequently, we conducted quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping in a recombinant-inbred line population (Williams 82 (salt-sensitive) × PI 483460B) to identify the new salt tolerance loci/alleles. A new locus, qSalt_Gm18, was mapped on chromosome 18 associated with leaf scorch score. Another major QTL, qSalt_Gm03, was identified to be associated with chlorophyll content ratio and leaf scorch score in the same chromosomal region of GmCHX1 on chromosome 3. Novel variations in a STRE (stress response element) cis-element in the promoter region of GmCHX1 were found to regulate the salt-inducible expression of the gene in these four newly identified salt-tolerant lines including PI 483460B. This new allele of GmCHX1 with salt-inducible expression pattern provides an energy cost efficient (conditional gene expression) strategy to protect soybean yield in saline soils without yield penalty under non-stress conditions. Our results suggest that there might be no other major salt tolerance locus similar to GmCHX1 in soybean germplasm, and further improvement of salt tolerance in soybean may rely on gene-editing techniques instead of looking for natural variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510316, China
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Improvement of Soybean (General, Ministry of Agriculture), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Heng Ye
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Tri D Vuong
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Lijuan Zhou
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Tuyen D Do
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | | | - Wenqian Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Improvement of Soybean (General, Ministry of Agriculture), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Bin Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Improvement of Soybean (General, Ministry of Agriculture), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ting Jin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Improvement of Soybean (General, Ministry of Agriculture), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jinbao Gu
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510316, China
| | - Cong Li
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510316, China
| | - Yanhang Chen
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510316, China
| | - Yan Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Improvement of Soybean (General, Ministry of Agriculture), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Wang
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, 510316, China
| | - Henry T Nguyen
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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Costa JH, Miranda RDS. Molecular Basis of Crops and Fruit Plants in Response to Stress. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3813. [PMID: 38005710 PMCID: PMC10675127 DOI: 10.3390/plants12223813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
This editorial summarizes the main scientific contributions from 11 papers comprising the Special Issue (SI) "Molecular Basis of Crops and Fruit Plants in Response to Stress". Here, we collected papers from different research groups encompassing molecular studies from monocots (ginger, rice, maize) and eudicots (common hazel, cowpea, pepper, soybean, tomato) species submitted to abiotic stresses as heat, cold, salt, drought, and heavy metals or biotic stresses induced by different viruses, such as BPEV, PepGMV, PMMoV, and TEV. These studies explored different aspects of molecular mechanisms involved in plant stress tolerance, establishing comparative analyses among genotypes/cultivars to identify potential molecular markers of stresses that are now available for future application in biotechnological studies. This SI presents a collection of advanced concepts and emerging strategies for readers and researchers aiming to accelerate plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Helio Costa
- Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60451-970, Ceara, Brazil
- Non-Institutional Competence Focus (NICFocus) ‘Functional Cell Reprogramming and Organism Plasticity’ (FunCROP) (Coordinated from Foros de Vale de Figueira), 7050-704 Alentejo, Portugal
| | - Rafael de Souza Miranda
- Plant Science Department, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina 64049-550, Piauí, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Agricultural Sciences, Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas, Federal University of Piauí, Bom Jesus 64900-000, Piauí, Brazil
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