Plant Hormones and Volatiles Response to Temperature Stress in Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.) Seedlings

Combined Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveals the Heat Stress Resistance of Dongxiang Wild Rice at Seedling Stage

Rice is sensitive to high temperatures at the seedling stage. In the present study, a combined analysis of transcriptome and metabolome was performed on a heat-resistant accession, DY80, from Dongxiang wild rice and a heat-sensitive variety, R974, under heat stress at the seedling stage. The results of the transcriptome and metabolome analyses were verified through qRT-PCR and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis. We found that there were 1817 and 561 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) unique in DY80 and R974 under heat stress, respectively. The elite genes for the heat stress involved in Dongxiang wild rice may include upregulated genes in the pathway of unfolded protein binding; downregulated genes in the pathways of chlorophyll biosynthetic process, and cysteine and methionine metabolism; and photosystem I, photosystem II, and unchanged genes in the pathways of the anchored component of the plasma membrane, cell wall biogenesis, and photosynthesis-antenna proteins. Moreover, a total of 301 and 28 metabolites were identified as unique in DY80 and R974 after heat treatment, respectively. Further analyses showed that malic acid, stearic acid, and L-threonine might be causal metabolites, contributing to strong heat resistance in Dongxiang wild rice. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of heat resistance in rice.

Tissue-specific transcriptomic analysis reveals the molecular mechanisms responsive to cold stress in Poa crymophila, and development of EST-SSR markers linked to cold tolerance candidate genes

BACKGROUND

Poa crymophila is a perennial, cold-tolerant, native grass species, widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, the tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms and key regulatory genes underlying its cold tolerance remain poorly characterized. Therefore, in this study, based on the screening and evaluation of cold tolerance of four Poa species, the cold tolerance mechanism of P. crymophila's roots, stems, and leaves and its cold tolerance candidate genes were investigated through physiological and transcriptomic analyses.

RESULTS

Results of the present study suggested that the cold tolerance of the four Poa species was in the following order: P. crymophila > P. botryoides > P. pratensis var. anceps > P. pratensis. Cold stress significantly changed the physiological characteristics of roots, stems, and leaves of P. crymophila in this study. In addition, the transcriptome results showed that 4434, 8793, and 14,942 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively; however, 464 DEGs were commonly identified in these three tissues. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway (roots), photosynthesis pathway (stems and leaves), circadian rhythm-plant pathway (stems and leaves), starch and sucrose metabolism pathway (roots, stems, and leaves), and galactose metabolism pathway (roots, stems, and leaves). A total of 392 candidate genes involved in Ca2+ signaling, ROS scavenging system, hormones, circadian clock, photosynthesis, and transcription factors (TFs) were identified in P. crymophila. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified nine hub genes that may be involved in P. crymophila cold response. A total of 200 candidate gene-based EST-SSRs were developed and characterized. Twenty-nine polymorphic EST-SSRs primers were finally used to study genetic diversity of 40 individuals from four Poa species with different cold tolerance characteristics. UPGMA cluster and STRUCTURE analysis showed that the 40 Poa individuals were clustered into three major groups, individual plant with similar cold tolerance tended to group together. Notably, markers P37 (PcGA2ox3) and P148 (PcERF013) could distinguish P. crymophila from P. pratensis var. anceps, P. pratensis, and P. botryoides.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the cold tolerance of P. crymophila, and also lays a foundation for molecular marker-assisted selection for cold tolerance improvement in Poa species.

Multiple Omics Analyses Reveal Activation of Nitrogen Metabolism and Flavonoid Glycosylation in Toxicodendron vernicifluum Under High Temperature

Lacquer trees (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), economically vital, face high-temperature stress in summer. Transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses were employed to investigate the mechanisms by which lacquer trees respond to high temperatures. High-temperature treatment led to notable metabolite changes with 224 upregulated and 69 downregulated. Indole-3-acetic acid remained stable while abscisic acid decreased, with increases in jasmonic acid and jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine indicating complex hormonal responses. JAR1 and ABA 8'-hydroxylase encoding genes were upregulated. The rise in JAs boosted the alkaloid content and activated nitrogen transport. High temperatures also increased specific amino acids and upregulated aminotransferase and protease-encoding genes. Metabolomic analysis showed elevated flavonoid glycosides and the upregulation of glycosyltransferase genes. WPCNA found 35 protein modules involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, protein phosphorylation, and signal transduction. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed MYC6's link with flavonoid biosynthesis, indicating its role in promoting flavonoids.

Chemical bonding of cross-linked glutaraldehyde/chitosan on the surface of a titanium wire to prepare a robust biocompatible SPME fiber for analysis of phytohormones in plants

A robust biocompatible solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber, so-called Ti/APTS/GA/CS, was prepared by chemical bonding of cross-linked glutaraldehyde-chitosan to the surface of a titanium wire using APTS. The fiber was applied for sampling of phytohormones in plant tissues, followed by HPLC-UV analysis. The structure and morphology of the fiber coating was investigated by FT-IR, SEM, EDX, XRD, and TGA techniques. A Box-Behnken design was implemented to optimize the experimental variables. The calibration graphs were linear over a wide linear range (0.5-200 μg L-1) with LODs over the range of 0.01-0.06 μg L-1. The intra-day and inter-day precisions were found to be 1.3-6.3% and 4.3-7.3%, respectively. The matrix effect values ranged from 86.5% to 111.7%, indicating that the complex sample matrices had an insignificant effect on the determination of phytohormones. The fiber was successfully employed for the direct-immersion SPME (DI-SPME-HPLC) analysis of the phytohormones in cucumber, tomato, date palm, and calendula samples.

Heat-shock transcription factor HsfA8a regulates heat stress response in Sorbus pohuashanensis

MAIN CONCLUSION

The SpHsfA8a upregulated expression can induce the expression of multiple heat-tolerance genes, and increase the tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana to high-temperature stress. Sorbus pohuashanensis is an ornamental tree used in courtyards. However, given its poor thermotolerance, the leaves experience sunburn owing to high temperatures in summer, severely affecting its ornamental value. Heat-shock transcription factors play a critical regulatory role in the plant response to heat stress. To explore the heat-tolerance-related genes of S. pohuashanensis to increase the tree's high-temperature tolerance, the SpHsfA8a gene was cloned from S. pohuashanensis, and its structure and expression patterns in different tissues and under abiotic stress were analyzed, as well as its function in heat tolerance, was determined via overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana. The results showed that SpHsfA8a encodes 416 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 47.18 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4.63. SpHsfA8a is a hydrophilic protein without a signal peptide and multiple phosphorylation sites. It also contains a typical DNA-binding domain and is similar to MdHsfA8a in Malus domestica and PbHsfA8 in Pyrus bretschneideri. In S. pohuashanensis, SpHsfA8a is highly expressed in the roots and fruits and is strongly induced under high-temperature stress in leaves. The heterologous expression of SpHsfA8a in A. thaliana resulted in a considerably stronger growth status than that of the wild type after 6 h of treatment at 45 °C. Its proline content, catalase and peroxidase activities also significantly increased, indicating that the SpHsfA8a gene increased the tolerance of A. thaliana to high-temperature stress. SpHsfA8a could induce the expression of multiple heat-tolerance genes in A. thaliana, indicating that SpHsfA8a could strengthen the tolerance of A. thaliana to high-temperature stress through a complex regulatory network. The results of this study lay the foundation for further elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of SpHsfA8a in response of S. pohuashanensis to high-temperature stress.

Plant hormones and phenolic acids response to UV-B stress in Rhododendron chrysanthum pall

Our study aims to identify the mechanisms involved in regulating the response of Rhodoendron Chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) leaves to UV-B exposure; phosphorylated proteomics and metabolomics for phenolic acids and plant hormones were integrated in this study. The results showed that UV-B stress resulted in the accumulation of salicylic acid and the decrease of auxin, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, cytokinin and gibberellin in R. chrysanthum. The phosphorylated proteins that changed in plant hormone signal transduction pathway and phenolic acid biosynthesis pathway were screened by comprehensive metabonomics and phosphorylated proteomics. In order to construct the regulatory network of R. chrysanthum leaves under UV-B stress, the relationship between plant hormones and phenolic acid compounds was analyzed. It provides a rationale for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of radiation tolerance in plants.

Melatonin modulates the tolerance of plants to water stress: morphological response of the molecular mechanism

Water stress (drought and waterlogging) leads to an imbalance in plant water distribution, disrupts cell homeostasis, and severely inhibits plant growth. Melatonin is a growth hormone that plants synthesise and has been shown to resist adversity in many plants. This review discusses the biosynthesis and metabolism of melatonin, as well as the changes in plant morphology and physiological mechanisms caused by the molecular defence process. Melatonin induces the expression of related genes in the process of plant photosynthesis under stress and protects the structural integrity of chloroplasts. Exogenous melatonin can maintain the dynamic balance of root ion exchange under waterlogging stress. Melatonin can repair mitochondria and alleviate damage caused by reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species; and has a wide range of uses in the regulation of stress-specific genes and the activation of antioxidant enzyme genes. Melatonin improves the stability of membrane lipids in plant cells and maintains osmotic balance by regulating water channels. There is crosstalk between melatonin and other hormones, which jointly improve the ability of the root system to absorb water and breathe and promote plant growth. Briefly, as a multifunctional molecule, melatonin improves the tolerance of plants under water stress and promotes plant growth and development.

Modulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings by exogenous abscisic acid and salicylic acid under low temperature

KEY MESSAGE

Abscisic acid could regulate structural genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway and alleviate the decrease of carotenoids in maize seedlings under low-temperature stress. Low temperature often hampers the development of maize seedlings and hinders the accumulation of carotenoids, which are functional against chilling stress for plants and providing health benefits for human. To explore effective approaches in reducing chilling stress and enhancing the potential nutritional values of maize seedlings, exogenous plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) that may affect carotenoid biosynthesis were applied on low-temperature-stressed maize seedlings. Results showed that low temperature significantly reduced the carotenoid levels in maize seedlings, only preserving 62.8% in comparison to the control. The applied ABA probably interacted with the ABA-responsive cis-acting elements (ABREs) in the promoter regions of PSY3, ZDS and CHYB and activated their expressions. Consequently, the total carotenoid concentration was apparently increased to 1121 ± 47 ng·g-1 fresh weight (FW), indicating the stress alleviation by ABA. The application of SA did not yield positive results in alleviating chilling stress in maize seedlings. However, neoxanthin content could be notably boosted to 52.12 ± 0.45 ng·g-1 FW by SA, offering a biofortification strategy for specific nutritional enhancement. Structural gene PSY1 demonstrated positive correlations with β-carotene and zeaxanthin (r = 0.93 and 0.89), while CRTISO was correlated with total carotenoids (r = 0.92), indicating their critical roles in carotenoid accumulation. The present study exhibited the effectiveness of ABA to mitigate chilling stress and improve the potential nutritional values in low-temperature-stressed maize seedlings, thereby promoting the production of plant-based food sources.

Effects of Coverlys TF150® on the Photosynthetic Characteristics of Grape

Grape rain-shelter cultivation is a widely employed practice in China. At present, the most commonly used rain shelter film materials are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and polyolefin (PO). Coverlys TF150® is a woven fabric with an internal antifoggy PE coating that has not yet been popularized as a rain shelter film for grapes in China. To investigate the effects of Coverlys TF150® on grapes, we measured the microdomain environment, leaf development, and photosynthetic characteristics of 'Miguang' (Vitis vinifera × V. labrusca) under rain-shelter cultivation and performed transcriptome analysis. The results showed that Coverlys TF150® significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the light intensity, temperature, and humidity compared with PO film, increased the chlorophyll content and leaf thickness (particularly palisade tissue thickness), and increased stomatal density and stomatal opening from 10:00 to 14:00. Coverlys TF150® was observed to improve the maximum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), the electron transfer rate (ETR), and the actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) from 10:00 to 14:00. Moreover, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of grape leaves significantly increased (p < 0.05) from 10:00 to 14:00. RNA-Seq analysis of the grape leaves at 8:00, 10:00, and 12:00 revealed 1388, 1562, and 1436 differential genes at these points in time, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis showed the occurrence of protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. Plant hormone signal transduction and plant-pathogen interaction were identified as the metabolic pathways with the highest differential gene expression enrichment. The psbA encoding D1 protein was significantly up-regulated in both CO10vsPO10 and CO12vsPO12, while the sHSPs family genes were significantly down-regulated in all time periods, and thus may play an important role in the maintenance of the photosystem II (PSII) activity in grape leaves under Coverlys TF150®. Compared with PO film, the PSI-related gene psaB was up-regulated, indicating the ability of Coverlys TF150® to better maintain PSI activity. Compared with PO film, the abolic acid receptacle-associated gene PYL1 was down-regulated at all time periods under the Coverlys TF150® treatment, while PP2C47 was significantly up-regulated in CO10vsPO10 and CO12vsPO12, inducing stomatal closure. The results reveal that Coverlys TF150® alleviates the stress of high temperature and strong light compared with PO film, improves the photosynthetic capacity of grape leaves, and reduces the midday depression of photosynthesis.

The Regulatory Network of Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.) Seedlings under Heat Stress Revealed by Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis

Heat stress is an increasingly significant abiotic stress factor affecting crop yield and quality. This study aims to uncover the regulatory mechanism of sweet corn response to heat stress by integrating transcriptome and metabolome analyses of seedlings exposed to normal (25 °C) or high temperature (42 °C). The transcriptome results revealed numerous pathways affected by heat stress, especially those related to phenylpropanoid processes and photosynthesis, with 102 and 107 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified, respectively, and mostly down-regulated in expression. The metabolome results showed that 12 or 24 h of heat stress significantly affected the abundance of metabolites, with 61 metabolites detected after 12 h and 111 after 24 h, of which 42 metabolites were detected at both time points, including various alkaloids and flavonoids. Scopoletin-7-o-glucoside (scopolin), 3-indolepropionic acid, acetryptine, 5,7-dihydroxy-3',4',5'-trimethoxyflavone, and 5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavanone expression levels were mostly up-regulated. A regulatory network was built by analyzing the correlations between gene modules and metabolites, and four hub genes in sweet corn seedlings under heat stress were identified: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 2 (RDR2), UDP-glucosyltransferase 73C5 (UGT73C5), LOC103633555, and CTC-interacting domain 7 (CID7). These results provide a foundation for improving sweet corn development through biological intervention or genome-level modulation.

Unraveling the role of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a corn-soil system: Plant growth, oxidative stress and heavy metal(loid)s behavior

In the age of nanotechnological advancement, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are drawing global attention. However, few studies have been published on the crop growth responses to CNTs in heavy metal(loid)s contaminated environments. A pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on plant development, oxidative stress, and heavy metal(loid)s behavior in a corn-soil system. Corn (Zea mays L.) seedlings were cultivated in soil containing Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As) that had been primed with 0, 100, 500, and 1000 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs. The application of 100 and 500 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs improved shoot length by 6.45% and 9.21% after 45 days, respectively. Total plant dry biomass increased by 14.71% when treated with 500 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs but decreased by 9.26% when exposed to 1000 mg kg^-1 MWCNTs. MWCNTs treatment did not affect Cd accumulation in plants. On the other hand, the bio-concentration factor of As was inversely associated with plant growth (p < 0.05), which was declined in MWCNTs treatments. Oxidative stress was aggravated when plants were exposed to MWCNTs, thus activating the antioxidant enzymes system in the corn. In contrast, TCLP-extractable Cd and As in soil significantly decreased than in the control. Additionally, the soil nutrients were changed under MWCNTs treatments. Our findings also revealed that a particular concentration of MWCNTs can mitigate the toxicity of Cd and As in corn seedlings. Therefore, these results suggest the prospective application of CNTs in agricultural production, ensuring environmental and soil sustainability.

Dissolved organic matter transformation mechanisms and process optimization of wastewater sludge hydrothermal humification treatment for producing plant biostimulants

Understanding the composition, transformation and bioactivity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) at the molecular level is crucial for investigating the hydrothermal humification process of wastewater sludge and producing ecological fertilizers. In this study, DOM transformation pathways under alkali-thermal humification treatment (AHT) were characterized by Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) in conjunction with molecular reaction network analysis. The effects of DOM on plant growth were examined using hydroponics and transcriptomic analysis. In the wastewater sludge humification process, AHT produced maximum amounts of protein (3260.56 mg/L) and humic acid (5788.24 mg/L) after 12 h. FT-ICR MS results indicated that protein-like structures were prone to continuous oxidation and were ultimately transformed into aromatic N-containing compounds resembling humic substances. Several reactive fragments (such as -C₂H₂O₂, -C₃H₄O₂, and -C₄H₆O₂) formed by the Maillard reaction (MR) were identified as potential precursors to humic acid (HA). In terms of biological effects, DOM_12h showed the highest rice germination and growth activity, whereas that produced by AHT for a longer period (> 12 h) displayed phytotoxicity owing to the accumulation of toxic substances. Plant biostimulants (such as amino acids and HAs) in DOM improved energy metabolism and carbohydrate storage in rice seedlings by upregulating the "starch and sucrose metabolism" pathways. Toxic substances (such as pyrrole, pyridine, and melanoidin) in DOM can activate cell walls formation to inhibit abiotic stimuli in rice seedlings through the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid pathway. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing sludge hydrothermal humification and recovering high-quality liquid fertilizers.

Negative Interactions Balance Growth and Defense in Plants Confronted with Herbivores or Pathogens

Plants have evolved a series of defensive mechanisms against pathogens and herbivores, but the defense response always leads to decreases in growth or reproduction, which has serious implications for agricultural production. Growth and defense are negatively regulated not only through metabolic consumption but also through the antagonism of different phytohormones, such as jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). Meanwhile, plants can limit the expression of defensive metabolites to reduce the costs of defense by producing constitutive defenses such as glandular trichomes or latex and accumulating specific metabolites, determining the activation of plant defense or the maintenance of plant growth. Interestingly, plant defense pathways might be prepared in advance which may be transmitted to descendants. Plants can also use external organisms to protect themselves, thus minimizing the costs of defense. In addition, plant relatives exhibit cooperation to deal with pathogens and herbivores, which is also a way to regulate growth and defense.

Interplay between phytohormone signalling pathways in plant defence - other than salicylic acid and jasmonic acid

Phytohormones are essential for all aspects of plant growth, development, and immunity; however, it is the interplay between phytohormones, as they dynamically change during these processes, that is key to this regulation. Hormones have traditionally been split into two groups: growth-promoting and stress-related. Here, we will discuss and show that all hormones play a role in plant defence, regardless of current designation. We highlight recent advances in our understanding of the complex phytohormone networks with less focus on archetypal immunity-related pathways and discuss protein and transcription factor signalling hubs that mediate hormone interplay.

Effect of low-temperature stress on the growth of plants of Secale cereale (Poaceae) and endogenous cytokinin content in roots and shoots

Phytohormones play a key role in the regulation of plant acclimation to low temperature. To elucidate the role of cytokinins in rye plant response to chilling, we studied the dynamics of these hormones in shoots and roots under short-term and prolonged cold stress. The 7-day-old plants were exposed to cold stress (2 °C) for 2 h (alarm phase of response) or for 6 h for two days (acclimation phase of response). Endogenous content of cytokinins was analyzed by HPLC-MS method. Low temperature had a differential effect on the content of individual cytokinins and their localization in rye plants. During the short-term stress, a decrease in the content of active cytokinins (trans-zeatin and trans-zeatin riboside) in the roots and an increase in the shoots were shown. Prolonged low-temperature stress declined the amount of cytokinins except trans-zeatin riboside, which was detected in both roots and shoots. Significant rise in trans-zeatin riboside content in roots and shoots in this period evidenced an important role of this cytokinin during cold acclimation of rye plants.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of GARP Transcription Factor Gene Family Members Reveal Their Diverse Functions in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)

Golden2, ARR-B, Psr1 (GARP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that play vital and diverse roles in plants. However, systematic research on the GARP gene family in plants, including tea plant (Camellia sinensis), is scarce. In this study, a total of 69 GARP genes were identified and characterized from the tea plant genome based on the B-motif sequence signature. The CsGARP genes were clustered into five subfamilies: PHR1/PHL1, KAN, NIGT1/HRS1/HHO, GLK and ARR-B subfamilies. The phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, chromosomal locations, conserved motifs and regulatory cis-acting elements of the CsGARP family members were comprehensively analyzed. The expansion of CsGARP genes occurred via whole-genome duplication/segmental duplication, proximal duplication, and dispersed duplication under purifying selective pressure. The expression patterns of the CsGARP genes were systematically explored from various perspectives: in different tissues during different seasons; in different leaf color stages of tea plant; under aluminum treatment and nitrogen treatment; and in response to abiotic stresses such as cold, drought and salt and to biotic stress caused by Acaphylla theae. The results demonstrate that CsGARP family genes are ubiquitously expressed and play crucial roles in the regulation of growth and development of tea plant and the responses to environmental stimuli. Collectively, these results not only provide valuable information for further functional investigations of CsGARPs in tea plant but also contribute to broadening our knowledge of the functional diversity of GARP family genes in plants.

Mitochondrial Genome Contributes to the Thermal Adaptation of the Oomycete Phytophthora infestans

As a vital element of climate change, elevated temperatures resulting from global warming present new challenges to natural and agricultural sustainability, such as ecological disease management. Mitochondria regulate the energy production of cells in responding to environmental fluctuation, but studying their contribution to the thermal adaptation of species is limited. This knowledge is needed to predict future disease epidemiology for ecology conservation and food security. Spatial distributions of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) in 405 Phytophthora infestans isolates originating from 15 locations were characterized. The contribution of MtDNA to thermal adaptation was evaluated by comparative analysis of mtDNA frequency and intrinsic growth rate, relative population differentiation in nuclear and mtDNA, and associations of mtDNA distribution with local geography climate conditions. Significant variation in frequency, intrinsic growth rate, and spatial distribution was detected in mtDNA. Population differentiation in mtDNA was significantly higher than that in the nuclear genome, and spatial distribution of mtDNA was strongly associated with local climatic conditions and geographic parameters, particularly air temperature, suggesting natural selection caused by a local temperature is the main driver of the adaptation. Dominant mtDNA grew faster than the less frequent mtDNA. Our results provide useful insights into the evolution of pathogens under global warming. Given its important role in biological functions and adaptation to local air temperature, mtDNA intervention has become an increasing necessity for future disease management. To secure ecological integrity and food production under global warming, a synergistic study on the interactive effect of changing temperature on various components of biological and ecological functions of mitochondria in an evolutionary frame is urgently needed.

Growth-Defense Trade-Offs Induced by Long-term Overgrazing Could Act as a Stress Memory

Long-term overgrazing (OG) is one of the key drivers of global grassland degradation with severe loss of productivity and ecosystem functions, which may result in stress memory such as smaller stature of grassland plants. However, how the OG-induced stress memory could be regulated by phytohormones is unknown. In this study, we investigated the changes of four phytohormones of cloned offspring of Leymus chinensis that were developed from no-grazing (NG) plants and OG plants with a grazing history of 30 years. The concentrations of auxin (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA) in OG plant leaves were 45% and 20% lower than control, respectively. Meanwhile, the level of abscisic acid (ABA) in OG leaves nearly doubled compared with that in NG leaves. The situation was quite similar in roots. Unexpectedly, no significant changes in the jasmonic acid (JA) level were observed between OG and NG plants. The changes in gene expression patterns between OG and NG plants were also investigated by transcriptomic analysis. In total, 302 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between OG and NG plants, which were mainly classified into the functions of synthesis, receptor, and signal transduction processes of phytohormones. The expression of 24 key genes related to the biosynthesis and signal transduction of IAA and GA was downregulated in OG plants. Among them, OASA1 and AO1 (regulating the biosynthesis of IAA and ABA, respectively) were reduced significantly by 88 and 92%, respectively. In addition, the content of secondary metabolites related to plant defense such as flavonoids and phenols was also increased in leaves. Taken together, the decrease of positive plant growth-related hormones (IAA and GA) together with the increase of plant stress-related hormones or factors (ABA, flavonoids, and phenols) induced the growth-defense trade-offs for L. chinensis adaptation to long-term OG stress. The findings reported in this study shed new light on the mechanism of plant-animal interaction in the grassland ecosystem and provide a deeper insight into optimizing grazing management and sustainable utilization of grassland.

Volatiles Accumulation during Young Pomelo (Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.) Fruits Development

As widely planted fruits with high nutritional and medical values, pomelos are managed systematically to achieve the largest economic benefits. But the annual shedding of young pomelos, which could be applied as feedstocks for essential oil extraction with their abundant volatiles, leads to a waste of source. The present study selected two commonly planted pomelo (Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.) varieties in Southern China, to investigate the volatile profiles during young pomelo fruits development. Combing transcriptomic analysis, this study aimed at identifying the prominent volatile components in young pomelo fruits in order to preferably extract profitable volatiles, as well, increasing the knowledge concerning regulatory roles of transcription factors (TFs) on volatiles accumulation in young pomelos. Totally 29 volatiles were identified, including 14 monoterpenoids and 13 sesquiterpenoids. Diprene was the principal component with the highest amount. Volatiles were generally decreased during fruits development but preferable stages were figured out for volatile collections. 12 and 17 TFs were related to developing time while ERF003 and MYC2 were highly correlated to monoterpenoids. These findings put forward the comprehensive usages of young pomelos and enriched the regulatory roles of TFs on both fruit development and volatiles metabolism.

Effect of Climate on Volatile Metabolism in 'Red Globe' Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) during Fruit Development

With unique flavor and nutritional value, grapes are popular for eating and for the byproducts obtained in their processing. This study cultivated a popular grape variety, ‘Red Globe’, in two regions with different climates to investigate the discrepancies in their volatiles in response to climate. Saccharides, organic acids and transcriptomic and volatile metabolic analyses were studied separately via GC-FID, RNA sequencing and GC-MS/MS methods during the development of grape berries. In total, 83 volatiles were determined in samples, with (E)-2-hexenal the most abundant. Fatty acid derivatives and terpenoids in grapes showed discrepancies in different climates, and some of them were correlated to specific transcription factors. VvWRKY22 was influenced by climate conditions and was relative to saccharide accumulation. MYB-related transcription factors (TFs) were highly correlated with volatiles that accumulated during fruit ripening, especially decanal. Terpenoids showed correlations with a gene module that contained ERFs and HSFs. The findings support the hypothesis that fruit maturity and volatile formations vary in grape berries under different climates. Moreover, specific TFs could participate in volatile accumulations. The given results not only serve to enrich theoretical knowledge on the regulatory mechanism of volatiles in grapes, but also provide guidance for enhancing grape flavor and aroma by modulating cultivational conditions.