Advances of calcium signals involved in plant anti-drought

Ca2+-dependent H2O2 response in roots and leaves of barley - a transcriptomic investigation

BACKGROUND

Ca2+ and H2O2 are second messengers that regulate a wide range of cellular events in response to different environmental and developmental cues. In plants, stress-induced H2O2 has been shown to initiate characteristic Ca2+ signatures; however, a clear picture of the molecular connection between H2O2-induced Ca2+ signals and H2O2-induced cellular responses is missing, particularly in cereal crops such as barley. Here, we employed RNA-seq analyses to identify transcriptome changes in roots and leaves of barley after H2O2 treatment under conditions that inhibited the formation of cytosolic Ca2+ transients. To that end, plasma membrane Ca2+ channels were blocked by LaCl3 application prior to stimulation of barley tissues with H2O2.

RESULTS

We examined the expression patterns of 4246 genes that had previously been shown to be differentially expressed upon H2O2 application. Here, we further compared their expression between H2O2 and LaCl3 + H2O2 treatment. Genes showing expression patterns different to the previous study were considered to be Ca2+-dependent H2O2-responsive genes. These genes, numbering 331 in leaves and 1320 in roots, could be classified in five and four clusters, respectively. Expression patterns of several genes from each cluster were confirmed by RT-qPCR. We furthermore performed a network analysis to identify potential regulatory paths from known Ca2+-related genes to the newly identified Ca2+-dependent H2O2 responsive genes, using the recently described Stress Knowledge Map. This analysis indicated several transcription factors as key points of the responses mediated by the cross-talk between H2O2 and Ca2+.

CONCLUSION

Our study indicates that about 70% of the H2O2-responsive genes in barley roots require a transient increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations for alteration in their transcript abundance, whereas in leaves, the Ca2+ dependency was much lower at about 33%. Targeted gene analysis and pathway modeling identified not only known components of the Ca2+ signaling cascade in plants but also genes that are not yet connected to stimuli-associated signaling. Potential key transcription factors identified in this study can be further analyzed in barley and other crops to ultimately disentangle the underlying mechanisms of H2O2-associated signal transduction mechanisms. This could aid breeding for improved stress resistance to optimize performance and productivity under increasing climate challenges.

Differential expression and localization of expansins in Arabidopsis shoots: implications for cell wall dynamics and drought tolerance

Expansins are cell wall-modifying proteins implicated in plant growth and stress responses. In this study, we explored the differential localization of expansins in Arabidopsis thaliana shoots, with a focus on EXPA1, EXPA10, EXPA14, and EXPA15 utilizing pEXPA::EXPA translational fusion lines. Employing the chemically inducible system pOp6/LhGR for EXPA1 overexpression and high-throughput automatic phenotyping we evaluated the drought response and photosynthetic efficiency under stress conditions. We observed distinct expression patterns of expansins, with EXPA1 primarily localized in stomatal guard cells, while EXPA10 and EXPA15 showed strong cell wall (CW) localization in epidermal and other tissues. Overexpression of EXPA1 resulted in pronounced changes in CW-related gene expression, particularly during early stages of induction, including the upregulation of other expansins and CW-modifying enzymes. The induced EXPA1 line also displayed significant morphological changes in shoots, including smaller plant size, delayed senescence, and structural alterations in vascular tissues. Additionally, EXPA1 overexpression conferred drought tolerance, as evidenced by enhanced photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/FM), and low steady-state non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) values under drought stress. These findings highlight the critical role of EXPA1 in regulating plant growth, development, and stress response, with potential applications in improving drought tolerance in crops.

Enhancing Tolerance to Combined Heat and Drought Stress in Cool-Season Grain Legumes: Mechanisms, Genetic Insights, and Future Directions

The increasing frequency of concurrent heat and drought stress poses a significant challenge to agricultural productivity, particularly for cool-season grain legumes, including broad bean (Vicia Faba L.), lupin (Lupinus spp.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.). These legumes play a vital role in sustainable agricultural systems due to their nitrogen-fixing ability and high nutritional value. This review synthesizes current knowledge of the impacts and tolerance mechanisms associated with combined heat and drought stresses in these crops. We evaluate physiological and biochemical responses to combined heat and drought stress, focusing on their detrimental effects on growth, development, and yield. Key genetic and molecular mechanisms, such as the roles of osmolytes, antioxidants, and stress-responsive genes, are explored. We also discuss the intricate interplay between heat and drought stress signaling pathways, including the involvement of Ca2+ ions, reactive oxygen species, transcription factor DREB2A, and the endoplasmic reticulum in mediating stress responses. This comprehensive analysis offers new insights into developing resilient legume varieties to enhance agricultural sustainability under climate change. Future research should prioritize integrating omics technologies to unravel plant responses to combined abiotic stresses.

Foliar applied calcium chloride alleviated drought stress in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) by improving growth and yield contributing traits and antioxidant activity

Drought-induced stress presents a substantial threat as it disrupts the normal growth of cereal crops and leads to decreased yields. The persistent occurrence of drought conditions significantly impacts the growth and development of pearl millet. This study aimed to explore how calcium chloride (CaCl2) regulates the growth of pearl millet when it faces a lack of water. Over two years, field experiments were conducted at the College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Sub-Campus Layyah. During the study, we exposed pearl millet to various foliar applications of CaCl2 (0 mg/L, 25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 75 mg/L) while subjecting it to two different irrigation conditions: full irrigation and drought stress during the booting stage. Results revealed that a significant reduction in the growth (plant height; PH, stem diameter; SD, fresh leaf weight; FLW, stem fresh weight; SFW, stem dry weight; SDW, root fresh weight; RFW, root dry weight; RDW, and plant dry weight; PDW), yield (panicle length; PL, grain per panicle; GPP, grain weight; GW, thousand grain weight; TGW, grain yield; GY, biological yield; BY, and harvest index; HI), and physiological attributes (membrane stability index; MSI, and soil plant analysis development; SPAD) were found under water drought stress condition, while increment in antioxidant level was observed due to low moisture contents in soil. In both years, foliar applied CaCl2 enhanced all the physiological, growth and yield traits as well as some of the antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Study concluded that a concentration of 50 mg/L of CaCl2 is optimal for enhancing all examined attributes of pearl millet under both drought and full irrigation conditions. The results strongly advocate for the use of CaCl2 as the most effective treatment for the cultivation of pearl millet in arid and semi-arid regions.

Advances in Understanding Drought Stress Responses in Rice: Molecular Mechanisms of ABA Signaling and Breeding Prospects

Drought stress is a pivotal environmental factor impacting rice production and presents a significant challenge to sustainable agriculture worldwide. This review synthesizes the latest research advancements in the regulatory mechanisms and signaling pathways that rice employs in response to drought stress. It elaborates on the adaptive changes and molecular regulatory mechanisms that occur in rice under drought conditions. The review highlights the perception and initial transmission of drought signals, key downstream signaling networks such as the MAPK and Ca2+ pathways, and their roles in modulating drought responses. Furthermore, the discussion extends to hormonal signaling, especially the crucial role of abscisic acid (ABA) in drought responses, alongside the identification of drought-resistant genes and the application of gene-editing technologies in enhancing rice drought resilience. Through an in-depth analysis of these drought stress regulatory signaling pathways, this review aims to offer valuable insights and guidance for future rice drought resistance breeding and agricultural production initiatives.

Rye-durum wheat 1BL.1RS translocation: implications for drought tolerance and nutritional status

The translocation of the short chromosome arm 1RS of rye onto the 1B chromosome of common wheat has been shown to improve resistance to stress and yield. Here, translocation was operated in durum wheat and its effects on drought tolerance were evaluated. Both the 1BL.1RS translocation line (Svevo 1BL.1RS) and the corresponding Svevo control were exposed to drought for 7 days. Significant differences were found in root morphology between Svevo and Svevo 1BL.1RS under control and drought conditions. Although Svevo 1BL.1RS experienced more severe growth inhibition due to drought than Svevo, it exhibited greater resilience to oxidative stress. Furthermore, several drought-responsive genes were upregulated in both shoots and roots only in the translocation line. Notably, in roots of Svevo 1BL.1RS, the expression of these genes was also higher in the control condition compared to Svevo, suggesting that these genes could be constitutively expressed at higher levels in the translocation line. Moreover, the 1BL.1RS translocation had a significant impact on the plant's ability to accumulate nutrients under drought. Overall, the impact on sulfate accumulation and the expression of genes associated with its assimilation pathways are particularly noteworthy, highlighting the involvement of sulfur in the plant response to water stress. Additionally, the genetic characterization of Svevo 1BL.1RS revealed variants extending beyond the translocation, located in drought stress-responsive genes.

Genetic mapping reveals the complex genetic architecture controlling slow canopy wilting in soybean

In soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], drought stress is the leading cause of yield loss from abiotic stress in rain-fed US growing areas. Only 10% of the US soybean production is irrigated; therefore, plants must possess physiological mechanisms to tolerate drought stress. Slow canopy wilting is a physiological trait that is observed in a few exotic plant introductions (PIs) and may lead to yield improvement under drought stress. Canopy wilting of 130 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from Hutcheson × PI 471938 grown under drought stress was visually evaluated and genotyped with the SoySNP6K BeadChip. Over four years, field evaluations of canopy wilting were conducted under rainfed conditions at three locations across the US (Georgia, Kansas, and North Carolina). Due to the variation in weather among locations and years, the phenotypic data were collected from seven environments. Substantial variation in canopy wilting was observed among the genotypes in the RIL population across environments. Three QTLs were identified for canopy wilting from the RIL population using composite interval mapping on chromosomes (Chrs) 2, 8, and 9 based on combined environmental analyses. These QTLs inherited the favorable alleles from PI 471938 and accounted for 11, 10, and 14% of phenotypic variation, respectively. A list of 106 candidate genes were narrowed down for these three QTLs based on the published information. The QTLs identified through this research can be used as targets for further investigation to understand the mechanisms of slow canopy wilting. These QTLs could be deployed to improve drought tolerance through a targeted selection of the genomic regions from PI 471938.

Sound waves alter the viability of tobacco cells via changes in cytosolic calcium, membrane integrity, and cell wall composition

The effect of sound waves (SWs) on plant cells can be considered as important as other mechanical stimuli like touch, wind, rain, and gravity, causing certain responses associated with the downstream signaling pathways on the whole plant. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the response of suspension-cultured tobacco cells (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Burley 21) to SW at different intensities. The sinusoidal SW (1,000 Hz) was produced through a signal generator, amplified, and beamed to the one layer floating tobacco cells inside a soundproof chamber at intensities of 60, 75, and 90 dB at the plate level for 15, 30, 45, and 60 min. Calibration of the applied SW intensities, accuracy, and uniformity of SW was performed by a sound level meter, and the cells were treated. The effect of SW on tobacco cells was monitored by quantitation of cytosolic calcium, redox status, membrane integrity, wall components, and the activity of wall modifying enzymes. Cytosolic calcium ions increased as a function of sound intensity with a maximum level of 90 dB. Exposure to 90 dB was also accompanied by a significant increase of H2O2 and membrane lipid peroxidation rate but the reduction of total antioxidant and radical scavenging capacities. The increase of wall rigidity in these cells was attributed to an increase in wall-bound phenolic acids and lignin and the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and covalently bound peroxidase. In comparison, in 60- and 75 dB, radical scavenging capacity increased, and the activity of wall stiffening enzymes reduced, but cell viability showed no changes. The outcome of the current study reveals that the impact of SW on plant cells is started by an increase in cytosolic calcium. However, upon calcium signaling, downstream events, including alteration of H2O2 and cell redox status and the activities of wall modifying enzymes, determined the extent of SW effects on tobacco cells.

Transcriptomic Insights into Abies koreana Drought Tolerance Conferred by Aureobasidium pullulans AK10

The conservation of the endangered Korean fir, Abies koreana, is of critical ecological importance. In our previous study, a yeast-like fungus identified as Aureobasidium pullulans AK10, was isolated and shown to enhance drought tolerance in A. koreana seedlings. In this study, the effectiveness of Au. pullulans AK10 treatment in enhancing drought tolerance in A. koreana was confirmed. Furthermore, using transcriptome analysis, we compared A. koreana seedlings treated with Au. pullulans AK10 to untreated controls under drought conditions to elucidate the molecular responses involved in increased drought tolerance. Our findings revealed a predominance of downregulated genes in the treated seedlings, suggesting a strategic reallocation of resources to enhance stress defense. Further exploration of enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways and protein-protein interaction networks revealed significant alterations in functional systems known to fortify drought tolerance, including the terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, calcium signaling pathway, pyruvate metabolism, brassinosteroid biosynthesis, and, crucially, flavonoid biosynthesis, renowned for enhancing plant drought resistance. These findings deepen our comprehension of how AK10 biostimulation enhances the resilience of A. koreana to drought stress, marking a substantial advancement in the effort to conserve this endangered tree species through environmentally sustainable treatment.

Calcium phosphate nanoparticles improve growth parameters and mitigate stress associated with climatic variability in avocado fruit

The avocado cv. Hass is one of the most dynamic fruits in the world and is of particular significance in tropical areas, where climate variability phenomena have a high impact on productivity and sustainability. Nanotechnology-based tools could be an alternative to mitigate and/or adapt plants to these phenomena. Our approach was based on identifying changes in temperature and precipitation associated with climate variability in avocado areas in Colombia and proposing mitigation strategies based on the use of nanotechnology. This study had two objectives: (i) to identify variations in temperature and precipitation in avocado-producing areas in Colombia and (ii) to evaluate the effect of calcium phosphate nanoparticles (nano CP) as an alternative to reduce stress in avocados under simulate climatic variability condition. Climatic clusters were determined based on the spatial K-means method and with the climatic temporal series data (1981-2020), a time series analysis we carried out. Later changes in each cluster were simulated in growth chambers, evaluating physiological and developmental responses in avocado seedlings subjected to nanoCaP after adjusting the application form and dose. XRD diffraction shows that the calcium phosphate phases obtained by solution combustion correspond to a mixture of hydroxyapatite and witocklite nanoparticles with irregular morphologies and particle sizes of 100 nm. Three clusters explained ∼90% of the climate variation, with increases and decreases in temperature and precipitation in the range of 1-1.4 °C and 4.1-7.3% respectively. The best-fitted time series models were of stationary autoregressive integrated moving averages (SARIMA). The avocado seedlings had differential responses (P<0.05) depending on the clusters, with a decrease in physiological behavior and development between 10 and 35%. Additionally, the nanoCaP reduced the climatic stress (P< 0.05) in a range between 10 and 22.5%. This study identified the negative effect of climate variability on avocado seedlings and how nanoCaP can mitigate these phenomena.

Foliar Application of Chelated Sugar Alcohol Calcium Improves Photosynthesis and Tuber Quality under Drought Stress in Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Drought stress is a major threat to sustainable crop production worldwide. Despite the positive role of calcium (Ca2+) in improving plant drought tolerance in different crops, little attention has been paid to its role in mitigating drought stress in potatoes. In the present study, we studied the effect of foliar chelated sugar alcohol calcium treatments on two potato cultivars with different drought responses applied 15 and 30 days after limiting soil moisture. The results showed that the foliar application of calcium treatments alleviated the SPAD chlorophyll loss of the drought-sensitive cultivar 'Atlantic' (Atl) and reduced the inhibition of photosynthetic parameters, leaf anatomy deformation, and MDA and H2O2 content of both cultivars under drought stress. The Ca2+ treatments changed the expression of several Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase (StCDPK) genes involved in calcium sensing and signaling and significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities, average tuber weight per plant, and tuber quality of both cultivars. We conclude that calcium spray treatments improved the drought tolerance of both potato cultivars and were especially effective for the drought-sensitive cultivar. The present work suggests that the foliar application of calcium is a promising strategy to improve commercial potato yields and the economic efficiency of potato production under drought stress conditions.

Global Proteome Profiling Revealed the Adaptive Reprogramming of Barley Flag Leaf to Drought and Elevated Temperature

Plants, as sessile organisms, have developed sophisticated mechanisms to survive in changing environments. Recent advances in omics approaches have facilitated the exploration of plant genomes; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of barley and other cereals to multiple abiotic stresses remain largely unclear. Exposure to stress stimuli affects many proteins with regulatory and protective functions. In the present study, we employed liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify stress-responsive proteins on the genome-wide scale of barley flag leaves exposed to drought, heat, or both. Profound alterations in the proteome of genotypes with different flag leaf sizes were found. The role of stress-inducible proteins was discussed and candidates underlying the universal stress response were proposed, including dehydrins. Moreover, the putative functions of several unknown proteins that can mediate responses to stress stimuli were explored using Pfam annotation, including calmodulin-like proteins. Finally, the confrontation of protein and mRNA abundances was performed. A correlation network between transcripts and proteins performance revealed several components of the stress-adaptive pathways in barley flag leaf. Taking the findings together, promising candidates for improving the tolerance of barley and other cereals to multivariate stresses were uncovered. The presented proteomic landscape and its relationship to transcriptomic remodeling provide novel insights for understanding the molecular responses of plants to environmental cues.

Exogenous Calcium Reinforces Photosynthetic Pigment Content and Osmolyte, Enzymatic, and Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants Abundance and Alleviates Salt Stress in Bread Wheat

One of the main environmental stresses that hinder crop development as well as yield is salt stress, while the use of signal molecules such as calcium (Ca) has a substantial impact on reducing the detrimental effects of salt on different crop types. Therefore, a factorial pot experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted to examine the beneficial role of Ca (0, 2.5, and 5 mM) in promoting the physiological, biochemical, and growth traits of the wheat plant under three salt conditions viz. 0, 30, and 60 mM NaCl. Foliar application of Ca increased the growth of salt-stressed wheat plants through increasing photosynthetic pigments, IAA, proline, and total soluble sugars contents and improving antioxidant enzymes in addition to non-enzymatic antioxidants glutathione, phenol and flavonoids, β-carotene, and lycopene contents, thus causing decreases in the over-accumulation of free radicals (ROS). The application of Ca increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes in wheat plants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), which scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and relieved salt stress. An additional salt tolerance mechanism by Ca increases the non-antioxidant activity of plants by accumulating osmolytes such as free amino acids, proline, and total soluble sugar, which maintain the osmotic adjustment of plants under salinity stress. Exogenous Ca application is a successful method for increasing wheat plants' ability to withstand salt stress, and it has a considerable impact on the growth of wheat under salt stress.

Rapid, nonparallel genomic evolution of Brassica rapa (field mustard) under experimental drought

While we know that climate change can potentially cause rapid phenotypic evolution, our understanding of the genetic basis and degree of genetic parallelism of rapid evolutionary responses to climate change is limited. In this study, we combined the resurrection approach with an evolve-and-resequence design to examine genome-wide evolutionary changes following drought. We exposed genetically similar replicate populations of the annual plant Brassica rapa derived from a field population in southern California to four generations of experimental drought or watered conditions in a greenhouse. Genome-wide sequencing of ancestral and descendant population pools identified hundreds of SNPs that showed evidence of rapidly evolving in response to drought. Several of these were in stress response genes, and two were identified in a prior study of drought response in this species. However, almost all genetic changes were unique among experimental populations, indicating that the evolutionary changes were largely nonparallel, despite the fact that genetically similar replicates of the same founder population had experienced controlled and consistent selection regimes. This nonparallelism of evolution at the genetic level is potentially because of polygenetic adaptation allowing for multiple different genetic routes to similar phenotypic outcomes. Our findings help to elucidate the relationship between rapid phenotypic and genomic evolution and shed light on the degree of parallelism and predictability of genomic evolution to environmental change.

Effect of drought on aquaporin expression in grafted and ungrafted grapevine cultivars

Drought stress severely affects growth, development and productivity in most agricultural crops. Since ancient times, rootstocks have been used to enable crop cultivation in unsuitable soil conditions. In the present study, three factors were evaluated: 1) cultivar: Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Horozkarası’ (drought-tolerant) and cv. ‘Kabarcık’ (drought-sensitive) were used; 2) rootstock: each cultivar was self-rooted and grafted onto ‘Rupestris du Lot’ rootstock; 3) drought stress: half of each cultivar/rootstock combination underwent drought stress and the other half was irrigated at field capacity for seven days. In order to estimate the responses of the cultivars, relative water content, proline content and aquaporin isoform expression levels (VvPIP2;1, VvPIP2;2, VvTIP1;1, and VvTIP2;1) were quantified. The results revealed that drought stress caused more reduction in relative water content (RWC) in ‘Kabarcık’ cultivar (drought-sensitive) than in ‘Horozkarası’ cultivar (drought-tolerant). Proline content increased in both cultivars in response to drought stress but to a relatively greater extent in the grafted ‘Kabarcık’ cultivar. Considering expression levels of genes, VvPIP2;1, VvPIP2;2, and VvTIP2;1 were downregulated whilst VvTIP1;1 was upregulated in the leaf. Both ‘Horozkarası’ and ‘Kabarcık’ cultivars showed similar trends in terms of their responses to drought stress. Grafting significantly increased the proline content in both cultivars exposed to drought stress. The rootstock conferred better drought protection to ‘Kabarcık’ cultivar than to ‘Horozkarası’ cultivar.

The CRK5 and WRKY53 Are Conditional Regulators of Senescence and Stomatal Conductance in Arabidopsis

In Arabidopsis thaliana, cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) constitute a large group of membrane-localized proteins which perceive external stimuli and transduce the signal into the cell. Previous reports based on their loss-of-function phenotypes and expression profile support their role in many developmental and stress-responsive pathways. Our study revealed that one member of this family, CRK5, acts as a negative regulator of leaf aging. Enrichment of the CRK5 promoter region in W-box cis-elements demonstrated that WRKY transcription factors control it. We observed significantly enhanced WRKY53 expression in crk5 and reversion of its early-senescence phenotype in the crk5 wrky53 line, suggesting a negative feedback loop between these proteins antagonistically regulating chlorophyll a and b contents. Yeast-two hybrid assay showed further that CRK5 interacts with several proteins involved in response to water deprivation or calcium signaling, while gas exchange analysis revealed a positive effect of CRK5 on water use efficiency. Consistent with that, the crk5 plants showed disturbed foliar temperature, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and increased susceptibility to osmotic stress. These traits were fully or partially reverted to wild-type phenotype in crk5&nbsp;wrky53 double mutant. Obtained results suggest that WRKY53 and CRK5 are antagonistic regulators of chlorophyll synthesis/degradation, senescence, and stomatal conductance.

Different strategies lead to a common outcome: different water-deficit scenarios highlight physiological and biochemical strategies of water-deficit tolerance in diploid versus tetraploid Volkamer lemon

Water scarcity restricts citrus growth and productivity worldwide. In pot conditions, tetraploid plants tolerate water deficit more than their corresponding diploids. However, their tolerance mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we focused on which mechanisms (i.e., hydraulic, osmotic or antioxidative) confer water-deficit tolerance to tetraploids. We exposed diploid and tetraploid Volkamer lemon rootstock (Citrus volkameriana Tan. and Pasq.) to quickly (fast) and slowly (slow) developing water-deficit conditions. We evaluated their physiological, antioxidative defense and osmotic adjustment responses, and mineral distribution to leaves and roots. Water-deficit conditions decreased the photosynthetic variables of both diploid and tetraploid plants. Moreover, the corresponding decrease was greater in diploids than tetraploids. Higher concentrations of antioxidant enzymes, osmoprotectants and antioxidant capacity were found in the leaves and roots of tetraploids than diploids under water deficit. Diploid plants showed fast response in slow water-deficit condition, but that response did not persist as the deficit intensified. Meanwhile, tetraploids had lower water loss, which slowed the onset of slow water deficit relative to diploids. This response allowed stronger photosynthesis, while antioxidant and osmoprotectant production allowed for further tolerance once desiccation began. Overall, our results concluded that Volkamer lemon tetraploid plants tolerate rapid and slow water deficit by maintaining their photosynthesis due to low conductance (stem or roots), which helps to avoid desiccation, and stronger biochemical defense machinery than their corresponding diploids.

Exogenous Ca2+ enhances antioxidant defense in rice to simulated acid rain by regulating ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase

Exogenous calcium enhances rice tolerance to acid rain stress by regulating isozymes composition and transcriptional expression of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Calcium (Ca) participates in signal transduction in plants under abiotic stress, and addition of Ca²⁺ is beneficial to alleviate damage of plants caused by acid rain. To clarify the effect of exogenous Ca²⁺ on tolerance of plants to acid rain stress, we investigated regulation of Ca²⁺ (5 mM) on activities, isozymes composition and transcriptional expression of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), redox state, and H₂O₂ concentration and growth in rice leaves and roots under simulated acid rain (SAR) stress. SAR (pH 3.5/2.5) decreased the total activities of APX and GR in rice by decreasing the concentration of APX isoforms (APXII in leaves and APXIII in roots) as well as activation degree of GR isozymes and transcription level of GR1, indicating that SAR (pH 3.5/2.5) destroyed the redox state in rice cells and induced H₂O₂ excessive accumulation, and inhibited growth of rice. Exogenous Ca²⁺ alleviated SAR-induced inhibition on activities of APX and GR by regulating the concentration, activation, and transcription of their isozymes, and then maintained the redox level of cells and protected cells from oxidative damage, being beneficial to the growth of rice. Therefore, the promotion of exogenous Ca²⁺ on activities of APX and GR can be important to enhance rice tolerance to acid rain by maintaining redox state and avoiding oxidative damage.

Penconazole and calcium ameliorate drought stress in canola by upregulating the antioxidative enzymes

The aim of this research was to gauge the alternations in the lipid peroxidation and antioxidative enzyme activity in two cultivars (cv. RGS003 and cv. Sarigol) of canola under drought stress and drought tolerance amelioration by penconazole (PEN) and calcium (Ca). Plants were treated with different polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 15%) without or with PEN (15 mg L-1) and Ca (15 mM). The Ca treatment prevented the negative effects of drought on fresh weight (FW) in RGS003 and Sarigol at 5 and 15% PEG respectively. Ca and PEN/Ca treatments caused significant induction in the proline content in Sarigol at 15% PEG; the latter treatment was accompanied by higher glycine betaine (GB), lower malondialdehyde (MDA) and growth recovery. Hydrogen peroxide (HO2) content in Sarigol was proportional to the severity of drought stress and all PEN, Ca and PEN/Ca treatments significantly reduced the H2O2 content. PEN and PEN/Ca caused alleviation of the drought-induced oxidative stress in RGS003. RGS003 cultivar exhibited significantly higher antioxidative enzymes activity at most levels of drought, which could lead to its drought tolerance and lower MDA content. In contrast to that of Sarigol, the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with Ca and PEN/Ca treatments in RGS003 under low stress. The application of PEN and Ca induced significantly P5CS and SOD expression in RGS003 under drought stress after 24 h. Overall, these data demonstrated that PEN and Ca have the ability to enhance the tolerance against the drought stress in canola plants.

Fractionating of Calcium in Tuber and Leaf Tissues Explains the Calcium Deficiency Symptoms in Potato Plant Overexpressing CAX1

Consistent with reports on other plants we recently reported that a potato transgenic line (AT010901) overexpressing sCAX1 show classic symptoms of calcium deficiency shoot tip injury, leaf curling, leaf margin necrosis and tuber internal defects such as hollow heart and brown spots. The present study was undertaken to quantify calcium in various fraction of leaf and tuber tissues of this transgenic and wild type potato clones to understand the development of these deficiency symptoms at normal calcium nutrition (1mM) and its mitigation at higher calcium nutrition (10mM). Plants were grown in controlled environment growth chamber and watered with balanced nutrient solution containing either 1 or 10 mM calcium. The plants overexpressing sCAX1 showed calcium deficiency symptoms while sequestering calcium in the vacuole as calcium oxalate crystals. Various fractions of calcium were qualified in the young and mature leaves as well as tuber tissue. A reduced concentration of water soluble fraction of calcium was most important factor related to the development of calcium deficiency symptoms in the line overexpressing sCAX1. Furthermore, an increase in this fraction appear to explain the alleviation of the deficiency symptoms in these transgenic plants.Ours is the first study to document the significance of water-soluble calcium in the development of calcium-deficiency symptoms in the potato transgenic lines overexpressing sCAX1. Furthermore, our result demonstrates that an increase in this fraction plays a significant role in the alleviation of calcium deficiency symptoms when calcium concentration in the nutrient media is increased. These results provide important insight on the role of sCAX1 in the calcium homeostasis.

Different effects of calcium and penconazole on primary and secondary metabolites of Brassica napus under drought

The effects of penconazole (PEN) and calcium (Ca²⁺) on physiological and biochemical parameters were investigated in two canola cultivars (RGS003 and Sarigol) under water stress. Drought increased protein content in RGS003, but PEN, Ca²⁺ and PEN-Ca²⁺ treatment induced protein content in Sarigol. PEN, Ca²⁺ and PEN-Ca²⁺ treatment enhanced soluble sugar content in RGS003. In contrast to Sarigol, drought and PEN treatment induced total phenol content in RGS003. Flavonoid content increased by drought, but Ca²⁺ and PEN-Ca²⁺ treatment decreased it in both cultivars. Ca²⁺ and PEN-Ca²⁺ treatment enhanced tocopherol content in both cultivars under drought stress. Drought stress increased Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity in Sarigol. PEN-Ca²⁺ treatment increased relative expression of PAL and its activity in RGS003. Fatty acid composition was modified by drought, PEN and Ca²⁺. Saturated fatty acid (stearic acid) content declined but unsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid) content enhanced in both cultivars under drought. The application of PEN and Ca²⁺ decreased unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acid) in RGS003 under drought. According to our results, PEN and Ca²⁺ changed physiological and biochemical parameters and therefore these compounds are suggested for reduction of the negative effects of drought stress in canola.

Genetic basis of drought tolerance during seed germination in barley

Drought is one of the harshest abiotic stresses hindering seed germination, plant growth, and crop productivity. A high rate and uniformity of germination under stressful conditions are vital for crop establishment and growth; thus, for productivity. A better understanding of the genetic architecture of seed germination under drought stress is a prerequisite for further increasing yield potential. Barley is considered one of the most abiotic stresses-tolerant cereals. Elucidating the drought tolerance of barley during seed germination would indeed pave the way towards improving the performance of all cereals. However, we still know relatively little about the genetic control of drought tolerance during the seed germination phase. In our study, 218 worldwide spring barley accessions were subjected to PEG-induced drought during seed germination. Induced drought stress "20% PEG" significantly reduced the seed germination parameters and seedling related traits. A genome-wide association scan (GWAS) was used to identify genomic regions associated with our trait of interest. In total, 338 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be associated with several traits distributed across seven barley chromosomes, of which 26 genomic regions were associated with candidate genes. The current study found some of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) that have previously been reported to be linked to seed germination-related traits under drought conditions, as well as some new associations. Noteworthy, the identified QTL colocalized with a number of genes (within interval ±0.5 Mbp) that are exclusively distributed on chromosomes 1H, 2H, and 5H. The annotation of these genes in barley shows their roles in drought tolerance through encoding different transcription factors. The function of the identified genes during seed germination was also confirmed by the annotation of their counterparts in Arabidopsis. The current analyses show the power of the GWAS both for identifying putative candidate genes and for improving plant adaptive traits in barley.

Ecophysiological Responses of Calcicole Cyclobalanopsis glauca (Thunb.) Oerst. to Drought Stress and Calcium Supply

Water deficit and high calcium (Ca2+) content and are two typical soil characteristics in the Karst region. However, the problem of whether high Ca2+ in Karst calcareous soil could increase drought tolerance in calcicole plants has not been solved. We investigated the ecophysiological responses of Cyclobalanopsis glauca (Thunb.) Oerst. cuttings to short-term drought stress and Ca2+ application. Drought stress (10% PEG-6000) markedly reduced relative water content (RWC) and water potential (WP), and enhanced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (H2O2 and O2•−) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in C. glauca leaves. Under drought treatment, exogenous Ca2+ application (20 mM CaCl2) markedly increased the RWC and WP, and reduced the H2O2, O2•−, and MDA content. Furthermore, water deficit induced a significant increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and increased the accumulation of osmoregulation substances. External Ca2+ alleviated drought-induced oxidative stress and osmotic stress with further increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, and enhanced the accumulation of osmoregulation substances. In addition, exogenous Ca2+ treatment alleviated the reduction of the photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and chlorophyll content (SPAD), and further increased water use efficiency (WUE) under drought stress. This study confirms that exogenouos Ca2+ application induces improvements in the water status, osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense, and photosynthesis efficiency of C. glauca under drought stress.

Gel-Free/Label-Free Proteomic Analysis of Endoplasmic Reticulum Proteins in Soybean Root Tips under Flooding and Drought Stresses

Soybean is a widely cultivated crop; however, it is sensitive to flooding and drought stresses. The adverse environmental cues cause the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress due to accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins. To investigate the mechanisms in response to flooding and drought stresses, ER proteomics was performed in soybean root tips. The enzyme activity of NADH cytochrome c reductase was two-fold higher in the ER than other fractions, indicating that the ER was isolated with high purity. Protein abundance of ribosomal proteins was decreased under both stresses compared to control condition; however, the percentage of increased ribosomes was two-fold higher in flooding compared to drought. The ER proteins related to protein glycosylation and signaling were in response to both stresses. Compared to control condition, calnexin was decreased under both stresses; however, protein disulfide isomerase-like proteins and heat shock proteins were markedly decreased under flooding and drought conditions, respectively. Furthermore, fewer glycoproteins and higher levels of cytosolic calcium were identified under both stresses compared to control condition. These results suggest that reduced accumulation of glycoproteins in response to both stresses might be due to dysfunction of protein folding through calnexin/calreticulin cycle. Additionally, the increased cytosolic calcium levels induced by flooding and drought stresses might disturb the ER environment for proper protein folding in soybean root tips.

Polyamine regulates tolerance to water stress in leaves of white clover associated with antioxidant defense and dehydrin genes via involvement in calcium messenger system and hydrogen peroxide signaling

Endogenous polyamine (PA) may play a critical role in tolerance to water stress in plants acting as a signaling molecule activator. Water stress caused increases in endogenous PA content in leaves, including putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm). Exogenous application of Spd could induce the instantaneous H₂O₂ burst and accumulation of cytosolic free Ca²⁺, and activate NADPH oxidase and CDPK gene expression in cells. To a great extent, PA biosynthetic inhibitor reduced the water stress-induced H₂O₂ accumulation, free cytosolic Ca²⁺ release, antioxidant enzyme activities and genes expression leading to aggravate water stress-induced oxidative damage, while these suppressing effects were alleviated by the addition of exogenous Spd, indicating PA was involved in water stress-induced H₂O₂ and cytosolic free Ca²⁺ production as well as stress tolerance. Dehydrin genes (Y₂SK, Y₂K, and SK₂) were showed to be highly responsive to exogenous Spd. PA-induced antioxidant defense and dehydrin genes expression could be blocked by the scavenger of H₂O₂ and the inhibitors of H₂O₂ generation or Ca²⁺ channels blockers, a calmodulin antagonist, as well as the inhibitor of CDPK. These findings suggested that PA regulated tolerance to water stress in white clover associated with antioxidant defenses and dehydrins via involvement in the calcium messenger system and H₂O₂ signaling pathways. PA-induced H₂O₂ production required Ca²⁺ release, while PA-induced Ca²⁺ release was also essential for H₂O₂ production, suggesting an interaction between PA-induced H₂O₂ and Ca²⁺ signaling.

Calcineurin B-Like Protein-Interacting Protein Kinase CIPK21 Regulates Osmotic and Salt Stress Responses in Arabidopsis

The role of calcium-mediated signaling has been extensively studied in plant responses to abiotic stress signals. Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) constitute a complex signaling network acting in diverse plant stress responses. Osmotic stress imposed by soil salinity and drought is a major abiotic stress that impedes plant growth and development and involves calcium-signaling processes. In this study, we report the functional analysis of CIPK21, an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CBL-interacting protein kinase, ubiquitously expressed in plant tissues and up-regulated under multiple abiotic stress conditions. The growth of a loss-of-function mutant of CIPK21, cipk21, was hypersensitive to high salt and osmotic stress conditions. The calcium sensors CBL2 and CBL3 were found to physically interact with CIPK21 and target this kinase to the tonoplast. Moreover, preferential localization of CIPK21 to the tonoplast was detected under salt stress condition when coexpressed with CBL2 or CBL3. These findings suggest that CIPK21 mediates responses to salt stress condition in Arabidopsis, at least in part, by regulating ion and water homeostasis across the vacuolar membranes.

The effect of calcium chloride on growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant responses of Zoysia japonica under drought conditions

Few attempts have been made to study the alleviating effects of signal molecules on zoysiagrass (Zoysiajaponica) under drought stress. Calcium chloride has been shown to ameliorate the adverse effects of drought stress on many plants. It is necessary to investigate how to enhance drought tolerance of zoysiagrass using calcium chloride. The study elucidated the effects of calcium chloride on zoysiagrass under drought conditions by investigating the following parameters: biomass, chlorophyll (Chl) content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), chlorophyll fluorescence, antioxidant enzymes, proline content, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Experimental conditions consisted of an aqueous CaCl2 solution at 5, 10, and 20 mM sprayed on zoysiagrass leaves for 3 d, following by an inducement of drought conditions by withholding water for 16 d. Under drought conditions, all CaCl2 pretreatments were found to increase the above-ground fresh biomass, as well as below-ground fresh and dry biomass. The resulting Chl (a, b, a+b) contents of the 5 and 10 mM CaCl2 pretreatment groups were higher than those of the control. In the later stages of drought conditions, the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm was higher in leaves treated with 10 mM CaCl2 than in the leaves of the other two treatment groups. Zoysiagrass pretreated with 10 mM CaCl2 possessed both the maximum observed Pn and antioxidant enzyme activities. Meanwhile, lower MDA and proline contents were recorded in the plants pretreated with 5 and 10 mM CaCl2 under drought conditions. As a whole, the drought tolerance of zoysiagrass was improved to some extent by the application of a moderate calcium concentration.

In silico targeted genome mining and comparative modelling reveals a putative protein similar to an Arabidopsis drought tolerance DNA binding transcription factor in Chromosome 6 of Sorghum bicolor genome

Arabidopsis Thaliana HARDY (AtHRD) is a gene with an APETELA 2 / Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) domain linked to improved performance under drought in rice. We hypothesized that the sorghum genome could possess a similar gene product and were motivated to conduct a computational genome scale mining for the protein and analyse its structural and functional properties. AtHRD sequence was used as a query to BLAST against the sorghum genome dataset followed by multiple alignment analysis. A homology model of the target was built using a template detected based on the pair-wise comparison of hidden Markov models for alignments. DNA docking with a matrix of homologous interface contacts was done. Functional and structural analysis of the query and target was conducted using various online servers. A High-scoring segment pair from Chromosome 6 of the sorghum genome in the region between 54948120 and 54948668 had 68 amino acid similarities out of the 184 residues and was 1.4% above twilight zone threshold. The homology model showed 86.8% residues in most favoured regions. The target protein which had an AP2/ERF domain when docked with GCC box DNA motif had conserved residues involved in binding; it had a long unstructured region beyond the AP2 domain with several motifs for the recognition of serine/threonine protein kinase group. The protein model showed that it could bind to a GCC box which is present in several drought responsive genes. The presence of possible signalling domains and intrinsic disorder in the target protein suggest that this could play a role in drought tolerance which is an inherent character of sorghum. These results offer a jumpstart for validation experiments which could pave the way for cis/trans genic improvement of a range of crops.

CaCl2 improves post-drought recovery potential in Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze

Drought stress affects the growth and productivity of the tea plant. However, the damage caused is not permanent. The present investigation studies the effect of CaCl(2) on antioxidative responses of tea during post-drought recovery. Increase in dry mass, proline and phenolic content of leaf with decrease in H(2)O(2) and lipid peroxidation and increased activities of enzymes such as SOD, CAT, POX and GR in response to increased foliar CaCl(2) concentration are indications for the recovery of stress-induced oxidative damage and thus improving post-stress recovery potential of Camellia sinensis genotypes.

An ordered EST catalogue and gene expression profiles of cassava (Manihot esculenta) at key growth stages

A cDNA library was constructed from the root tissues of cassava variety Huanan 124 at the root bulking stage. A total of 9,600 cDNA clones from the library were sequenced with single-pass from the 5'-terminus to establish a catalogue of expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Assembly of the resulting EST sequences resulted in 2,878 putative unigenes. Blastn analysis showed that 62.6% of the unigenes matched with known cassava ESTs and the rest had no 'hits' against the cassava database in the integrative PlantGDB database. Blastx analysis showed that 1,715 (59.59%) of the unigenes matched with one or more GenBank protein entries and 1,163 (40.41%) had no 'hits'. A cDNA microarray with 2,878 unigenes was developed and used to analyze gene expression profiling of Huanan 124 at key growth stages including seedling, formation of root system, root bulking, and starch maturity. Array data analysis revealed that (1) the higher ratio of up-regulated ribosome-related genes was accompanied by a high ratio of up-regulated ubiquitin, proteasome-related and protease genes in cassava roots; (2) starch formation and degradation simultaneously occur at the early stages of root development but starch degradation is declined partially due to decrease in UDP-glucose dehydrogenase activity with root maturity; (3) starch may also be synthesized in situ in roots; (4) starch synthesis, translocation, and accumulation are also associated probably with signaling pathways that parallel Wnt, LAM, TCS and ErbB signaling pathways in animals; (5) constitutive expression of stress-responsive genes may be due to the adaptation of cassava to harsh environments during long-term evolution.