Hasil untuk "Botany"

P. J. White, Patrick H. Brown

R. I. Pereira, J. Prichula, D. V. Oliveira et al.

Yufei Li, Lu Zhou, Fan Zhu et al.

The lodging resistance of rice is a prerequisite for ensuring yield and rice quality. An in-depth analysis of key traits affecting rice lodging resistance is crucial for guiding the cultivation of excellent rice varieties and field production. Given consumer demand for high-quality rice and frequent extreme weather conditions, this study focused on six high-quality conventional rice varieties and compared the main stem internode physical traits, stem and sheath plumpness traits, main stem mechanical properties, yield-related traits, and panicle characteristics of the plants based on field phenotype measurements. Among them, three varieties showed lodging resistance in the field, while the other three varieties all experienced varying degrees of lodging susceptibility. The results showed that lodging-resistant varieties exhibited a more reasonable internode structure, lower plant height, gravity center height, and relative gravity center height, as well as shorter and thicker second internodes (N2). Additionally, they had higher sheath phimosis degree, greater bending stress, internode-breaking moment, and plant-breaking moment, along with a lower lodging index compared to lodging-susceptible varieties. Specifically, lodging-resistant varieties had 0.83–9.61% lower plant height, 4.11–16.10% lower gravity center height, and 0.09–12.68% lower relative gravity center height than those of lodging-susceptible varieties. Their N2 internode length was 8.96–44.69% shorter, while stem and sheath weight ratios were 16.37–268.58% and 8.27–165.01% higher than those of lodging-susceptible varieties, respectively. At the same time, lodging-resistant varieties exhibit the ability to stabilize yield while reducing their own risk of lodging by increasing effective panicles and reducing single panicle weight. In addition, NX42, LD3, and SY17 were ultimately evaluated as low-risk lodging varieties in this study. This study aims to address the lodging problem of high-quality conventional rice and analyze the key mechanisms underlying its lodging resistance. The research provides important theoretical support for genetic improvement of high-quality conventional rice.

Alexandros Amprazis, Penelope Papadopoulou

Societal Impact Statement Lack of plant awareness represents a significant phenomenon characterized by the underestimation of plants, with clear implications for sustainability. This study explores the potential of key competencies in education for sustainable development as an effective framework for mitigating this phenomenon. Through conceptual analysis, these competencies emerge as a valuable tool for enhancing plant awareness. This has significant implications for both the educational community and the general public, as it offers an additional pathway for fostering plant awareness, which can ultimately lead to increased public pressure and stronger mobilization by policymakers on critical issues such as biodiversity conservation and climate change. Summary The phenomenon of “plant blindness” or “lack of plant awareness” has received much attention from researchers over the last years. Recognizing education as both a contributing factor to and a potential solution for this issue, this study explores key competencies in education for sustainable development as a framework to enhance plant awareness. A conceptual analysis was conducted to identify thematic relationships between this framework and plant awareness. The analysis suggests that enhancing systems thinking and integrated problem‐solving competencies can help learners better recognize and understand the importance of plants for both human welfare and planet Earth. Through the development of critical thinking, normative, and self‐awareness competencies, learners are encouraged to question existing personal and societal perspectives on plants, thereby reshaping their perception of flora. Moreover, the application of anticipatory, strategic, and collaboration competencies allows learners to explore the intrinsic values of the plant world more deeply, fostering respect and empathy, which can lead to a broader shift in attitudes toward flora. Through the integration of these elements into plant education, botany classes can become more engaging and relevant to real‐world issues. This approach can help bridge the gap between traditional science education and the development of pro‐conservation behaviors, while also enriching the evaluation methods used to assess plant awareness. Additionally, key competencies in education for sustainable development within plant education can promote not only a less utilitarian perspective of plants as organisms but also a more holistic approach to science education, reducing its emphasis on instrumentalization.

Hong Y. Liu, Dun Luo, Han L. Huang et al.

Tea-oil tree (Camellia oleifera Abel.) is an important edible oil woody plant with a planting area over 3,800,000 hectares in southern China. Species of Diaporthe inhabit a wide range of plant hosts as plant pathogens, endophytes and saprobes. Here, we conducted an extensive field survey in Hainan Province to identify and characterise Diaporthe species associated with tea-oil leaf spots. As a result, eight isolates of Diaporthe were obtained from symptomatic C. oleifera leaves. These isolates were studied, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses of partial ITS, cal, his3, tef1 and tub2 gene regions. Two new Diaporthe species (D. hainanensis and D. pseudofoliicola) were proposed and described herein.

Shudong Lin, Kai Wei, Quanjiu Wang et al.

Water scarcity and the overuse of chemical fertilizers present significant challenges to modern agriculture, critically affecting crop photosynthesis, yield, quality, and productivity sustainability. This research assesses the impact of organic fertilizer on the photosynthetic attributes, yield, and quality of pakchoi under varying irrigation water conditions, including fresh water and brackish water. Findings reveal that the modified rectangular hyperbolic model most accurately captures the photosynthetic reaction to organic fertilization, outperforming other evaluated models. The maximum net photosynthesis rate (P_nmax), yield, soluble sugar (SS), and soluble protein content (SP) all exhibited a downward-opening quadratic parabolic trend with increasing amounts of organic fertilizer application. Specifically, under fresh-water irrigation, the optimal P_nmax, yield, SS, and SP were obtained at organic fertilizer rates of 65.77, 74.63, 45.33, and 40.79 kg/ha, respectively, achieving peak values of 20.71 µmol/(m²·s), 50,832 kg/ha, 35.63 g/kg, and 6.25 g/kg. This investigation provides a foundational basis for further research into the intricate relationship between water salinity stress and nutrient management, with the goal of crafting more sophisticated and sustainable farming methodologies. The insights gained could significantly influence organic fertilizer practices, promoting not only higher yields but also superior quality in agricultural outputs.

Wendy Lorena Reyes-Ardila, Paula Andrea Rugeles-Silva, Juan Diego Duque-Zapata et al.

<i>Bidens pilosa</i> L., native to South America and commonly used for medicinal purposes, has been understudied at molecular and genomic levels and in its relationship with soil microorganisms. In this study, restriction site-associated DNA markers (RADseq) techniques were implemented to analyze genetic diversity and population structure, and metabarcoding to examine microbial composition in soils from Palmira, Sibundoy, and Bogotá, Colombia. A total of 2,984,123 loci and 3485 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, revealing a genetic variation of 12% between populations and 88% within individuals, and distributing the population into three main genetic groups, F_ST = 0.115 (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and F_IT = 0.013 (<i>p</i> > 0.05). In the soil analysis, significant correlations were found between effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and apparent density, soil texture, and levels of Mg and Fe, as well as negative correlations between ECEC and Mg, and Mg, Fe, and Ca. Proteobacteria and Ascomycota emerged as the predominant bacterial and fungal phyla, respectively. Analyses of alpha, beta, and multifactorial diversity highlight the influence of ecological and environmental factors on these microbial communities, revealing specific patterns of clustering and association between bacteria and fungi in the studied locations.

Archana Thiruppathi, Shubham Rajaram Salunkhe, Shobica Priya Ramasamy et al.

Strategies to enhance rice productivity in response to global demand have been the paramount focus of breeders worldwide. Multiple factors, including agronomical traits such as plant architecture and grain formation and physiological traits such as photosynthetic efficiency and NUE (nitrogen use efficiency), as well as factors such as phytohormone perception and homeostasis and transcriptional regulation, indirectly influence rice grain yield. Advances in genetic analysis methodologies and functional genomics, numerous genes, QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci), and SNPs (Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms), linked to yield traits, have been identified and analyzed in rice. Genome editing allows for the targeted modification of identified genes to create novel mutations in rice, avoiding the unintended mutations often caused by random mutagenesis. Genome editing technologies, notably the CRISPR/Cas9 system, present a promising tool to generate precise and rapid modifications in the plant genome. Advancements in CRISPR have further enabled researchers to modify a larger number of genes with higher efficiency. This paper reviews recent research on genome editing of yield-related genes in rice, discusses available gene editing tools, and highlights their potential to expedite rice breeding programs.

Víctor Gutiérrez-González, Gisela Gerardi, Pilar Muñiz et al.

Hyperglycemia is a significant risk factor in metabolic syndrome, contributing to the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycemia increases ROS (reactive oxygen species) production via glucose oxidation and protein glycosylation, leading to cell damage. Our previous studies have highlighted the antioxidant properties of wine pomace products (wWPPs), a co-product of winemaking, and their ability to modulate oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of wWPPs against oxidative stress in hyperglycemic Caco-2 cells. They were treated with 1.5 μg GAE/mL of wWPP bioaccessible fractions, obtained from gastrointestinal digestion (WPGI) and colonic fermentation (WPF), under normoglycemic or hyperglycemic (35 mM glucose) conditions. After 24 h of treatment, cell viability, oxidative stress biomarkers and the expression of transcription factors and enzymes involved in cellular oxidation balance were evaluated. Hyperglycemia induced a 30% reduction in cell viability, which was restored to normoglycemic levels by WPF treatment. The bioaccessible fractions were able to counteract hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress in intestinal cells, as evidenced by significant decreases in carbonyl groups and MDA levels (10 and 40%, respectively). Furthermore, hyperglycemia-induced NF-κB overexpression was also significantly reduced by WPGI and WPF pre-treatment (between 15 and 53%), modulating the redox activity. In conclusion, the bioaccessible fractions of wWPP, particularly WPF, demonstrated significant potential in mitigating hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and enhancing cell viability in Caco-2 cells.

PhytoFrontiers™ Vol. 2 No. 3

Hector Zumbado-Ulate, Kelsey Neam, Adrián García-Rodríguez et al.

Understanding the threats to wildlife across space and time is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. In Mesoamerica (i.e., the region that extends from Central Mexico to the most southern point in Panama) at least 40% of amphibian species declined between the late 1970s and the early 2000s. Most of these declines have been linked with the destruction of suitable habitats for amphibians as well as the introduction and spread of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the causal agent of the disease known as chytridiomycosis. In this study, we quantified geographic and elevational ranges for direct-developing, stream-dwelling frog species (DSFS) in Mesoamerica. Within the range of each DSFS, we estimated the extent of suitable area for the occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and the types of land use to quantify habitat deterioration. To date, 33% of DSFS remain undetected since 2005 or before. At the regional level (i.e., Mesoamerica), as in previous studies, we found that narrow geographic and elevational ranges increased vulnerability to extinction. Nevertheless, the ranges of 83% of DSFS were composed of 50% or more high-quality habitats between the 1980s and 2005, when most species declined. We also found that on average, 80% of the range of each species currently overlaps with predicted suitable areas for the occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. At the local and site level (i.e., focusing on two species ranges where extensive monitoring has been conducted even before decline occurred), we found that the present suitable habitat for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis corresponded with the reduction in predicted habitat suitability and climatic niche of DSFS. We also found that the location of remnant populations can be predicted by environmental factors, which can help identify regions where remnant populations of these declined species and others with similar ecology may occur. Combined, results from our regional and local analyses support the idea that Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was the main driver of DSFS declines and of the current lack of recent observations of fifteen DSFS. We used our results to propose specific actions for all DSFS included in this study. This study highlights the importance of considering multiple threats and spatial scales when assessing the status of declined and threatened species.

Fabrizio Araniti, Bhakti Prinsi, Luca Espen

In the present study, the mode of action of coumarin using the germination process as a target was investigated. A dose–response curve, built using a range of concentrations from 0 to 800 µM, allowed us to identify a key concentration (400 µM) inhibiting the germination process, reducing its speed without compromising seed development. Successively, short time-course (0–48 h) experiments were carried out to evaluate the biochemical and metabolic processes involved in coumarin-induced germination delay. The results pointed out that coumarin delayed K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ reabsorption, suggesting a late membrane reorganisation. Similarly, seed respiration was inhibited during the first 24 h but recovered after 48 h. Those results agreed with ATP levels, which followed the same trend. In addition, the untargeted metabolomic analysis allowed to identify, among the pathways significantly impacted by the treatment, amino acids metabolism, the TCA cycle, and the glyoxylate pathway. The results highlighted that coumarin was able to interact with membranes reorganisation, delaying them and reducing the production of ATP, as also supported by pathway analysis and cell respiration. The in vivo ³¹P-NMR analysis supported the hypothesis that the concentration chosen was able to affect plant metabolism, maintaining, on the other hand, its viability, which is extremely important for studying natural compounds’ mode of action.

Panayiota Xylia, Irene Ioannou, Antonios Chrysargyris et al.

The preservation of fresh produce quality is a major aim in the food industry since consumers demand safe and of high nutritional value products. In recent decades there has been a turn towards the use of eco-friendly, natural products (i.e., essential oils-EOs) in an attempt to reduce chemical-based sanitizing agents (i.e., chlorine and chlorine-based agents). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an eco-friendly product (EP—based on rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils) and two different application methods (vapor and dipping) on the quality attributes of tomato fruits throughout storage at 11 °C and 90% relative humidity for 14 days. The results indicated that overall, the EP was able to maintain the quality of tomato fruits. Dipping application was found to affect less the quality attributes of tomato, such as titratable acidity, ripening index and antioxidant activity compared to the vapor application method. Vapor application of 0.4% EP increased fruit’s antioxidant activity, whereas tomatoes dipped in EP solution presented decreased damage index (hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation levels), activating enzymes antioxidant capacity (catalases and peroxidases). Moreover, higher EP concentration (up to 0.8%) resulted in a less acceptable product compared to lower concentration (0.4%). Overall, the results from the present study suggest that the investigated EP can be used for the preservation of fresh produce instead of the current commercial sanitizing agent (chlorine); however, the method of application and conditions of application must be further assessed for every commodity tested.

Ahmed R. Sofy, Akram A. Aboseidah, El-Shahat El-Morsi et al.

The biggest problem in the world today is antimicrobial resistance, which undermines human health and increases morbidity and mortality associated with life-threatening serious diseases. Scientists from different fields are therefore examining plants for their antimicrobial use in the face of multidrug-resistant bacteria with a new eye. So, the aim of this research to find a new antibacterial from five aqueous extracts of Nigella sativa, Ziziphus spina-christi, Rosmarinus officinalis, Origanum majorana, and Allium sativum medicinal plants tested against the most multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates from clinical specimens which were Klebsiella pneumoniae (Gram-negative), Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). Also, to investigate the antibiofilm activity of the most potent extract. From all tested plants, the total extract of Z. spina-christi appeared a strong antibacterial effect against all tested MDR-strains. Besides, its polyphenol fraction showed a stronger effect. Furthermore, the total extract MIC ranged between 3.125-12.5 mg/ml with MBC was 3.125-25 mg/ml against previous strains. While, polyphenol fraction MIC and MBC were about 0.312- 1.25 mg/ml and 0.312-2.5 mg/ml, respectively. In contrast to the antibacterial strength of polyphenol fraction, the antibiofilm effect was weaker than the total extract antibiofilm effect, where at ½ MIC, the reduction of biofilm was about 78.18%, 81.9% and 99.48% against S. aureus, MRSA and P. aeruginosa, respectively. While, in the case of polyphenol fraction, the biofilm reduction effect against previous strains was 63.82%, 59.97%, and 87.95%, respectively.

Jorge Reyes-Jaramillo, Ángel Ordóñez-Castillo, Elvia Ruiz-Bustán et al.

La presente investigación consiste en un estudio de caso con el objetivo de describir el comportamiento histórico de la estructura poblacional en las provincias de El Oro, Loja y Zamora Chinchipe, que conforman la Región Sur de Ecuador, durante el periodo 1962-2010 y comprender el proceso de envejecimiento. La investigación se basó en la información oficial de los censos de población y vivienda, y se emplearon las variables población general, sexo, área geográfica, ciclos de vida, índices de infancia, juventud, generacional de ancianos, de vejez y de sobreenvejecimiento poblacional. Para determinar el ritmo de crecimiento se calculó la tasa de crecimiento anual geométrica, y para el envejecimiento, las medias, medianas y cuartiles poblacionales. La población de la Región Sur del Ecuador envejeció en 7,6 años, con variaciones significativas a nivel de las provincias: en El Oro envejeció 8,1 años, en Loja, 7,6 años, y en Zamora Chinchipe, 4,5 años. El análisis por ciclos de vida muestra escenarios disímiles que sirven como contexto de los procesos de salud, enfermedad y mortalidad, a pesar que no aborda toda la dinámica poblacional. En general, se evidencia una transición demográfica compleja, asimétrica, en espacios político-geográficos heterogéneos, en donde se han generado históricamente procesos de reproducción biológica-social interrelacionados, pero al mismo tiempo, disímiles.

Zhe Cao, Yufang Guo, Qian Yang et al.

Petunia: Enhancing commercial cultivars Uncovering the genetics behind desirable traits in petunia plants could help improve commercial cultivars. While petunia plants are a key feature of the global horticultural industry, the limited genetic variability in commercial plants makes it difficult to improve desired plant traits. Zhanao Deng at the University of Florida, US, and co-workers conducted a genome-wide QTL identification study using a crossbred population combining two petunia  species, P. integrifolia and P. axillaris. The team phenotyped the petunias in an open-air sub-tropical field rather than in an artificial environment like previous studies. They identified and characterized 17 genetic loci for seven important aesthetic traits, ranging from flower count to plant size. The petunia species had very different genetic backgrounds, likely stemming from their different geographic origins. The two species each can contribute novel genes for enhancing cultivated petunia cultivars.

Joep Schothort, Griet Van Zeebroeck, Johan M. Thevelein

Multiple types of nutrient transceptors, membrane proteins that combine a transporter and receptor function, have now been established in a variety of organisms. However, so far all established transceptors utilize one of the macronutrients, glucose, amino acids, ammonium, nitrate, phosphate or sulfate, as substrate. This is also true for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transceptors mediating activation of the PKA pathway upon re-addition of a macronutrient to glucose-repressed cells starved for that nutrient, re-establishing a fermentable growth medium. We now show that the yeast high-affinity iron transporter Ftr1 and high-affinity zinc transporter Zrt1 function as transceptors for the micronutrients iron and zinc. We show that replenishment of iron to iron-starved cells or zinc to zinc-starved cells triggers within 1-2 minutes a rapid surge in trehalase activity, a well-established PKA target. The activation with iron is dependent on Ftr1 and with zinc on Zrt1, and we show that it is independent of intracellular iron and zinc levels. Similar to the transceptors for macronutrients, Ftr1 and Zrt1 are strongly induced upon iron and zinc starvation, respectively, and they are rapidly downregulated by substrate-induced endocytosis. Our results suggest that transceptor-mediated signaling to the PKA pathway may occur in all cases where glucose-repressed yeast cells have been starved first for an essential nutrient, causing arrest of growth and low activity of the PKA pathway, and subsequently replenished with the lacking nutrient to re-establish a fermentable growth medium. The broadness of the phenomenon also makes it likely that nutrient transceptors use a common mechanism for signaling to the PKA pathway.

Belz, Regina G., Sinkkonen, Aki

Weed populations feature within-population genetic differences. Thus, evaluating mean responses in herbicide treated populations may miss ecologically significant individual responses. Since hormesis can likewise vary between individuals, this study investigated the hypothesis that herbicide hormesis within a high-density weed population is different among slowly-growing individuals, as compared to fast-growing individuals. In a dose-response experiment, Tripleurospermum perforatum (Mérat) Lainz was exposed to 12 doses of Atlantis WG (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron) in 24 replicates (50 plants/replicate). Root/shoot growth responses were evaluated as dose-response relationships for the population mean, the 90-97th percentile of the population (fast-growing individuals), and the 5-10th percentile (slow-growing individuals). Growth responses were generally biphasic. Slow-growing individuals had more pronounced hormesis that occurred partially at lower doses as compared to the population mean. With fast-growing individuals, hormesis was instead less pronounced and partially shifted to higher doses. Hence, hormesis was primarily associated with a stimulation of slow-growing individuals, while fast-growing individuals contributed to a lesser extent to the hormetic population response in a dense stand in vitro. This discrepancy may have the potential to segregate an herbicide exposed population and alter its sensitivity in the long-run.

Mohamed Tawfiek Shaaban, Amer Ahmed Mohammed Hanafi, Hassan A.H. Ibrahim

The bacteriological monitoring of Lake Qarun water and sediment (aerobic heterotrophs, Staphylococcus sp., Vibrio sp. Aeromonas sp., S. feacalis, E. coli, and total coliform sp.) through the period of study (2014-2015) was carried out. Six common bacterial isolates were fully identified as; Bacillus firmus, Bacillus stratosphericus, Exiguobacterium mexicanum, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Halomonas stevensii, and Halomonas korlensis based on partial sequencing of 16Sr DNA. In addition, physical and chemical analyses of Lake Qarun water and sediment (pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, BOD, COD, and nutrients) were estimated. The pH varied between 7.08 at sit I and 8.73 at sit V. The temperature varied between 15.6oC at sit VIII and 32.2oC at sit I. The salinity ranged between 3.18% at sit I and 51.72% at sit III. The dissolved oxygen fluctuated between 3.89 md/l at sit VI and 8.96 md/l at sit IV. The BOD ranged between 1.08 mg/l at sit VIII and 6.47 mg/l at sit IV. The COD varied between 11.36 mg/l at sit I and 53.64 mg/l at sit VIII. The phosphate in lake water varied between 1.453.4 μg/l at sit VIII and 498.4 μg/l at sit I. The ammonia ranged between 14.73 μg/l at sit II and 1485 μg/l at sit I. The nitrite varied between 4.10 μg/l at sit IV and 646.5 μg/l at sit I. The nitrate varied between 14.79 μg/l at sit III and 2138 μg/l at sit I. The silicate fluctuated between 894.6 μg/l at sit VI and 4682 μg/l at sit VII.Distribution of bacteria, physical characterization, hydrochemical characterization, Lake Qarun.

Frances E. M. Cook