Hasil untuk "Botany"

Cunliang Zuo, Zonghuan Ma, Lianxin Zhao et al.

Background: Apples and pears, as important economic fruit crops, are frequently threatened by various diseases, including Valsa canker. Given the numerous advantages of disease resistance breeding, the identification of key resistance genes is particularly important. This study aimed to identify the “Duli-G03” (<i>Pyrus betulifolia</i>) resistance gene <i>PbeZFP3</i> and clarify its regulatory mechanism in disease resistance via JA/SA pathways, providing a theoretical basis for resistant breeding. Results: In this study, we identified a C2H2-type transcription factor, <i>PbeZFP3</i>, in the <i>Valsa</i> canker-resistant rootstock “Duli-G03”. Expression analysis revealed that <i>PbeZFP3</i> is induced by both <i>Valsa pyri</i> (<i>Vp</i>) and <i>Vp</i> metabolites (<i>Vp</i>M). Transient expression in pear and apple fruits and stable expression in suspension cells confirmed that PbeZFP3 positively regulates <i>Valsa</i> canker resistance. Meanwhile, PbeZFP3 not only enhances the resistance of “Duli-G03” cells to <i>Botrytis cinerea</i> infection, but may also act as a negative regulator against <i>Colletotrichum fructicola</i>. The overexpression of <i>PbeZFP3</i> in “Duli-G03” significantly upregulated the expression of genes related to jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathways are involved in the enhanced <i>Valsa</i> canker resistance conferred by <i>PbeZFP3</i> overexpression. A deeper understanding of this host resistance mechanism will provide theoretical support for breeding strategies aimed at developing disease-resistant fruit trees.

Fangqi Sun, Hongbo Jiang, Jaturong Kumla et al.

Endophytic fungi associated with roots of the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) remain poorly documented in terms of species diversity worldwide. During an ongoing fungal survey in the dry-hot valleys of Honghe (Yunnan Province, China), five endophytic fungal strains were isolated from healthy roots of A. digitata. Based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses of four loci (ITS, LSU, SSU, and rpb2), combined with morphological observations, all five strains were identified as belonging to the genus Polyschema. Hence, three novel species are introduced in the present study, namely P. adansoniae-digitatae, P. hongheense, and P. radicicola. This study constitutes the first record of Polyschema from mainland China. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic placements of the three new species are provided. Additionally, the species diversity, morphology, and phylogeny of Polyschema are updated and discussed. These findings enrich knowledge of endophytic fungal diversity associated with baobab in China and provide insights into the taxonomy and diversity of Polyschema. Furthermore, an updated discussion on the ecology and genera within the family Latoruaceae is presented.

Khurram Shahzad, Waqar Shoukat Ali, Sohaib Muhammad et al.

The tropical dry forests (TDF) have an enormously rich flora and fauna that offer various ecological services to the surrounding human societies. Biodiversity assessment is mandatory for implementing any sustainable forest management policy, which is why it is one of the important criteria and indicators currently used. Threats to TDF biodiversity are the primary challenges arising from environmental concerns caused by anthropogenic activity leading to global warming issues. The study aimed to investigate the vegetation assessment and several environmental and anthropogenic variables influencing forest biodiversity from 5 threatened forest sites of District Sialkot (Ghalotian, Kishan Garh, Daburgi Chanda Singh, Pir Kot, and Ghulab Garh), Pakistan. We collected 170 distinct plant species, including 135 dicots, 27 monocots, seven pteridophytes, and one bryophyte, categorized into 138 genera and 62 families, divided into 114 herbs, 32 trees, and 24 shrubs. The phytosociological analysis described the quantitative characteristics, including % frequency, % density, % cover, and importance Value Index (IVI) of all forest areas. Gulab Garh forest has the richest biodiversity forest area, and herbs are the dominant species that have been documented. Environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, organic matter, soil pH, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, Cl−, and electric conductivity (EC) strongly affect forest vegetation investigated by principal coordinate analysis. Shannon and Simpson’s diversity indexes reveal that all sites contain loamy and sandy soil and display a significant relationship between alpha diversity and richness. Increasing trends in temperature and decreasing trends in rainfall suggested that climate significantly affects the Sialkot region’s plant biodiversity. SWOT analysis highlighted that population growth leads to increasing anthropogenic activities such as constructing housing societies and roads, inadequate farming, and excessive grazing, impacting the forest vegetation and altering TDF ecosystem properties/services and functioning. Our findings reinforce the vegetational assessment and importance of local forest biodiversity and significant environmental drivers that influence the plant species diversity in TDF areas. Future conservation strategies are suggested to reduce unlawful resource consumption, restore plant biodiversity in designated protected areas, and conserve rare species locally.

Robert Ancuceanu, Adriana Iuliana Anghel, Marilena Viorica Hovaneț et al.

With a widespread distribution throughout the Northern Hemisphere and 11 genera, Pinaceae is the largest family of <i>Gymnosperms</i> in the world. Essential oils are an important chemotaxonomic marker for the species of this family, although the degree of chemical and biological investigation has not been the same for all genera. Essential oils from <i>Abies</i> and <i>Cedrus</i> (from the abietoid clade) or <i>Pinus</i> and <i>Picea</i> (from the pinoid clade) have been more extensively investigated with respect to their chemical composition and biological or pharmacological properties, including their antioxidant effects. Instead, essential oils from the other genera of the family have been less explored in this respect or even have not been investigated at all. This is a narrative review looking into the knowledge acquired up to date, the variability and limitations of the current methods used to estimate antioxidant effects, and multiple comparisons between EOs obtained from different genera, species, and plant parts, as well as potential applications and future directions of research and utilization of essential oils derived from Pinaceae species.

Serisha Gangaram, Yougasphree Naidoo, Yaser Hassan Dewir et al.

<i>Barleria albostellata</i> (Acanthaceae) is a shrub located in South Africa and is relatively understudied. However, plants within this genus are well known for their medicinal and ethnopharmacological properties. This study aimed to characterise the phytochemical compounds and antibacterial efficacies of <i>B</i>. <i>albostellata</i>. Phytochemical analysis, fluorescence microscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis were performed to determine the composition of compounds that may be of medicinal importance. Crude leaf and stem extracts (hexane, chloroform and methanol) were subjected to an antibacterial analysis against several pathogenic microorganisms. The qualitative phytochemical screening of leaf and stem extracts revealed the presence various compounds. Fluorescence microscopy qualitatively assessed the leaf and stem powdered material, which displayed various colours under bright and UV light. GC-MS chromatograms represents 10–108 peaks of various compounds detected in the leaf and stem crude extracts. Major pharmacologically active compounds found in the extracts were alpha-amyrin, flavone, phenol, phytol, phytol acetate, squalene and stigmasterol. Crude extracts positively inhibited Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Significance was established at <i>p</i> < 0.05 for all concentrations and treatments. These results indicate that the leaves and stems of <i>B. albostellata</i> are rich in bioactive compounds, which could be a potential source of antibacterial agents for treating various diseases linked to the pathogenic bacteria studied. Future discoveries from this plant could advance the use of indigenous traditional medicine and provide novel drug leads.

Mha Albqmi, Samy Selim, Mohammad M. Al-Sanea et al.

Heavy metal such as arsenite (As^III) is a threat worldwide. Thus, to mitigate As^III toxicity on plants, we investigated the interactive effect of olive solid waste (OSW) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on wheat plants under As^III stress. To this end, wheat seeds were grown in soils treated with OSW (4% <i>w/w</i>), AMF-inoculation, and/or As^III treated soil (100 mg/kg soil). AMF colonization is reduced by As^III but to a lesser extent under As^III + OSW. AMF and OSW interactive effects also improved soil fertility and increased wheat plants’ growth, particularly under As^III stress. The interactions between OSW and AMF treatments reduced As^III-induced H₂O₂ accumulation. Less H₂O₂ production consequently reduced As^III-related oxidative damages i.e., lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA) (58%), compared to As stress. This can be explained by the increase in wheat’s antioxidant defense system. OSW and AMF increased total antioxidant content, phenol, flavonoids, and α-tocopherol by approximately 34%, 63%, 118%, 232%, and 93%, respectively, compared to As stress. The combined effect also significantly induced anthocyanins accumulation. The combination of OSW+AMF improved antioxidants enzymes activity, where superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were increased by 98%, 121%, 105%, 129%, and 110.29%, respectively, compared to As^III stress. This can be explained by induced anthocyanin percussors phenylalanine, cinamic acid and naringenin, and biosynthesic enzymes (phenylalanine aminolayse (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS)). Overall, this study suggested the effectiveness of OSW and AMF as a promising approach to mitigate As^III toxicity on wheat growth, physiology, and biochemistry.

Pedro Medrado Krainovic, Angélica Faria de Resende, Nino Tavares Amazonas et al.

Restoring tropical forests still relies on expensive tree planting. Timber production from native trees offers a promising opportunity to make restoration financially viable, but species growth data are lacking. We assessed the potential of tropical forest restoration plantations for producing native timber in the Atlantic Forest. For that we inventoried a chronosequence of unmanaged restoration plantation sites with ten commercial native tree species. Then we developed growth models and used the Growth-Oriented Logging (GOL) method to inform targeted management decisions, including an optimized timber-focused scenario, based on growth and bole quality assessment. Usually, growth-rate classes for saw wood production would be defined according to the time necessary for achieving 35 cm in DBH. Harvesting age was markedly reduced using GOL for species of fast-growth (from <50 to <25 years), intermediate-growth (from 50 to 70 to 25–50 years), slow-growth (from >70 to 50–75 years). Following GOL, basal area was 42 ± 30% larger at harvest (taking 35 ± 23% more time) or 60 ± 16.5% smaller (taking 66 ± 16% less time). The optimized scenario speeded tree-size achievement and anticipated harvesting in an average of 58 years. Species selection, individualization, and silvicultural management are critical for producing timber in forest restoration programs.

Nese Sreenivasulu, Changquan Zhang, Rhowell N. Tiozon, Jr. et al.

The eating and cooking quality (ECQ) of rice is critical for determining its economic value in the marketplace and promoting consumer acceptance. It has therefore been of paramount importance in rice breeding programs. Here, we highlight advances in genetic studies of ECQ and discuss prospects for further enhancement of ECQ in rice. Innovations in gene- and genome-editing techniques have enabled improvements in rice ECQ. Significant genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been shown to regulate starch composition, thereby affecting amylose content and thermal and pasting properties. A limited number of genes/QTLs have been identified for other ECQ properties such as protein content and aroma. Marker-assisted breeding has identified rare alleles in diverse genetic resources that are associated with superior ECQ properties. The post-genomics-driven information summarized in this review is relevant for augmenting current breeding strategies to meet consumer preferences and growing population demands.

Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis, Panayiota Kotsakiozi, Efthalia Stathi et al.

The Mediterranean basin constitutes one of the largest global biodiversity hotspots, hosting more than 11,000 endemic plants, and it is recognised as an area with a high proportion of threatened taxa. Nevertheless, only a tiny fraction of the threatened Mediterranean endemics have their genetic diversity assessed, and we are unaware if and how climate change might impact their conservation status. This is even more pronounced in Eastern Mediterranean countries with a rich endemic flora, such as Greece, which hosts a large portion of the plant taxa assessed at the European level under the IUCN criteria. Using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers and species distribution models, we analysed the genetic diversity and investigated the impacts of climate change on four critically endangered and extremely narrow and rare Greek island endemic plants, namely <i>Aethionema retsina</i>, <i>Allium iatrouinum</i>, <i>Convolvulus argyrothamnos,</i> and <i>Saponaria jagelii</i>. All four species are facing intense anthropogenic threats and display moderate genetic diversity (uHe: 0.254–0.322), while climate change is expected to have a profound impact on their range size during the coming decades. A combination of in- and ex-situ measures, such as population reinforcement and seed bank conservation, are urgently needed in order to preserve these highly threatened and rare Greek endemics.

Manuel J. Tenorio, Samuel Abalde, José R. Pardos-Blas et al.

In the last few years, a sharp increase in the number of descriptions of new species of West African cone snails, particularly from the Cabo Verde Archipelago, has taken place. In previous studies, we used mitogenome sequences for reconstructing robust phylogenies, which comprised in total 120 individuals representing the majority of species (69.7%) described from this biogeographical region (except Angolan endemics) and grouped into seven genera within the family Conidae. Here, we add another 12 individuals representing endemic species that were missing in the previous studies. We use the phylogenies to identify monophyletic groups and a genetic divergence threshold (0.2% uncorrected p distance) to determine the number of valid species. As a result, the number of valid West African cone species could be drastically reduced to at least 40%, indicating that some recent poor-quality descriptions loosely based on phenotypic characters prone to convergence such as the shape and color patterns of the shell have contributed substantially to taxonomic inflation. Several previously accepted species with a reduced geographical distribution now become phenotypic forms of the remaining valid species, which increase their distribution ranges. In contrast, several cryptic species are now uncovered and described. For instance, Africonus insulae sp. nov. and Kalloconus canariensis sp. nov. are hereby introduced as new species. A detailed systematic account with illustrations and relevant information is presented. Lectotypes are designated for Conus trochulus and Conus irregularis, and neotypes for Conus crotchii and Conus diminutus. According to our results, it is strongly recommended that any future introduction of new taxa names for cone snails from West Africa should be supported by molecular and/or anatomical rather than exclusively shell morphological data. The taxonomic decisions here taken have direct implications for conservation and will eventually require re-evaluation of the Red List risk status of an important number of species.

Juliane Vogt, Valentin Klaus, Steffen Both et al.

Zulaika Zulaika, Bonny Poernomo Soekarno, Ali Nurmansyah

<p><strong><span lang="EN-US">Modelling on Rice Blast Disease Severity in Subang District</span></strong></p><p>Blast disease (<em>Pyricularia oryzae</em>) is a major diseases of rice in Indonesia. Research related to modelling of  blast disease severity is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to design a statistical model on rice blast disease infestation on the rice paddy and to asses a correlation between the disease severity and infected seed level. The models were constructed based on multiple linier regression analyses. The study was conducted by observing the disease severity, collecting information about cultivation technique and weather conditions. The result of regression analysis showed severity modeling on influencing factors is Y = -67.17 + 5.51X1 – 10.54X₂+ 13.26X₃+ 8.51X₄+ 2.29X₅+ 1.32X₆+ 8.47X₇+ 0.31X₈+ 4.53X₉ (p-value &lt;0.0001, R² = 0.85). Nitrogen application and plant ages had significant effect on disease severity. The addition of N fertilizer increased the severity of blast disease by 8.47%. Increasing the daily life of plants increases the disease severity by 0.31%. The correlation (r) of pathogen infection after harvesting was strongly influenced by infection before planting with correlation value of 0.78. This means that the severity of seed disease after harvesting is influenced by 78% infection of pathogenic seed before planting. The result of regression analysis showed Y = 5.98 + 2.41X (p-value = 0.0076, R²= 0.61). An increase of 1% pathogens carried by seed before planting will be increasing disease severity by 2.41% after harvesting. The results of this study can be used as a reference in preparing preventive control measure and reduce the risk of pathogen carried by seeds that act as a source of initial inoculum.</p>

P. Carter

Omesh Bajpai, Anoop Kumar, Awadhesh Srivastava et al.

The study catalogues a sum of 278 tree species belonging to 185 genera and 57 families from the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh. The family Fabaceae has been found to exhibit the highest generic and species diversity with 23 genera and 44 species. The genus Ficus of Moraceae has been observed the largest with 15 species. About 50% species exhibit deciduous nature in the forest. Out of total species occurring in the region, about 63% are native to India. Almost all tree species have some importance in one and another way for the local people. In the study area about 80 species flower in the spring, 74 in the summer, 73 in the winter and 30 in rainy season. As per the existing IUCN Red List, 24 species of the area fall under different categories. Presence of these red listed trees in the study area enhances the importance of their proper management and conservation plan.

M. Flaishman, V. Rodov, E. Stover

Dr. Michael Simpson

Sarah Russell French, Yousef Abu-Zaitoon, Md. Myn Uddin et al.

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis is required for grain-fill in maize and appears to be regulated by cell-wall invertase (CWIN) activity. OsYUC12 is one of three IAA biosynthesis genes we previously reported as expressed during early rice grain development, correlating with a large increase in IAA content of the grain. This work aimed to investigate further the role of OsYUC12 and its relationship to CWIN activity and invertase inhibitors (INVINH). The analysis shows a brief peak of OsYUC12 expression early in endosperm development. Meta-analysis of microarray data, confirmed by quantitative expression analysis, revealed that OsYUC12 is coexpressed with OsIAA29, which encodes an unusual AUX/IAA transcription factor previously reported as poorly expressed. Maximum expression of OsYUC12 and OsIAA29 coincided with maximum CWIN activity, but also with a peak in INVINH expression. Unlike ZmYUC1, OsYUC12 expression is not reduced in the rice CWIN mutant, gif1. Several reports have investigated CWIN expression in rice grains but none has reported on expression of INVINH in this species. We show that rice has 54 genes encoding putative invertase/pectin methylesterase inhibitors, seven of which are expressed exclusively during grain development. Our results suggest a more complex relationship between IAA, CWIN, and INVINH than previously proposed.