Effects of methyl jasmonate on growth, antioxidants, and carbon and nitrogen metabolism of Glycyrrhiza uralensis under salt stressOriginal Papers

X. Yu, P. Fei, Z. Xie, W. Zhang, Q. Zhao, X. Zhang

Biologia Plantarum 63: 89-96, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.011

We investigated the effects of 0.025 or 0.05 mM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the growth characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities, non-enzymatic antioxidant content, and carbon and nitrogen metabolizing enzyme activities in Glycyrrhiza uralensis exposed to 100 mM NaCl. Results showed that salt stress decreased the stem length and lateral root number and the treatment with 0.025 or 0.05 mM MeJA increased the root length of salt-stressed G. uralensis seedlings but decreased root diameter, stem length, and stem diameter. MeJA application modulated oxidative stress in salt-stressed G. uralensis seedlings. It decreased the catalase...

Identification and validation of organ-preferential genes and analysis of corresponding upstream tissue-specific promoters in wheatOriginal Papers

P.P. Su, X. Jin, T. Sun, L. Chen, F. Shi, K.X. Li, J.L. Chang, G.X. Yang, G.Y. He

Biologia Plantarum 63: 78-88, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.010

Tissue/organ-specific promoters are important tools in genetic engineering and crop molecular breeding. They are well characterized in dicots, such as Arabidopsis, tobacco, and tomato, but not sufficiently in monocots, especially in wheat. In this study, the genes specifically expressed in seven different tissues, including coleoptile, root, leaf, pistil, anther, embryo, and endosperm were identified through analyzing the public transcriptome data from a wheat microarray using the ROKU method. The expression patterns of selected genes were validated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that these selected genes...

Involvement of proline and non-protein thiols in response to low temperature and cadmium stresses in wheatOriginal Papers

N. Repkina, V. Talanova, A. Ignatenko, A. Titov

Biologia Plantarum 63: 70-77, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.009

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of low temperature (4 °C), cadmium sulphate (100 μM), or their combination on content of free proline (Pro), glutathione (GSH), and phytochelatins (PCs) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves. Results revealed an increase in proline and phytochelatins accumulation in leaves of wheat seedlings along with enhanced cold tolerance at the low temperature, CdSO4, and their combination. Moreover, there were increases in mRNA content of TaP5CS and TaPCS1 genes, encoding ∆1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS) and phytochelatin synthases (PCS), respectively. A rapid increase...

The homoeologous genes encoding C24-sterol methyltransferase 1 in Triticum aestivum: structural characteristics and effects of cold stressOriginal Papers

A. Renkova, J. Valitova, H. Schaller, F. Minibayeva

Biologia Plantarum 63: 59-69, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.008

A unique structural feature of plant sterols is the presence of a 24-alkyl group in the sterol side chain, which is synthesized by C24-sterol methyltransferase (SMT). Here we report for the first time that the bread wheat genome (AABBDD) contains at least three homoeologous genes encoding C24-sterol methyltransferase 1. While these copies have similar coding regions, they differ markedly in the nucleotide sequences of their non-coding regions. Sequencing de novo of the promoter regions of the TaSMT1 homoeologs demonstrated the occurrence of common and specific stress-sensitive cis-elements such as LTR, the cis-element involved...

Arabidopsis KIN gamma subunit 1 has a potential to regulate activity of sucrose nonfermenting 1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s) in vitroBrief Communications

M. Punkkinen, K. Denessiouk, H. Fujii

Biologia Plantarum 63: 54-58, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.007

Plants must precisely regulate their signalling pathways to respond to environmental changes promptly. Sucrose non fermenting1 (SNF1)-related protein kinases (SnRK) 2 are essential kinases in abiotic stress responses, including responses to abscisic acid. Although homologs of SnRKs in yeast require a γ-subunit for full activation, it has been unclear whether SnRK2s in higher plants are affected by γ-subunits. In this report, we aimed to show the effect of Arabidopsis KIN γ-subunit 1 (KING1), which is a potential γ-subunit, on the activity of SnRK2. A recombinant KING1 bound to SnRK2.6 and functionally inhibited its activity...

Effects of short-term arsenic exposure in Arabidopsis thaliana: tolerance versus toxicity responsesOriginal Papers

A. Pita-Barbosa, T.C.R. Williams, M.E. Loureiro

Biologia Plantarum 63: 43-53, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.006

The metalloid arsenic (As) is highly phytotoxic, in part due to the similarity of the arsenates to phosphates, but also due to its ability to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and in the form of arsenite directly interact with certain enzymes. Here we aimed to determine the effects of a short period of As exposure on Arabidopsis thaliana. Particular focus was given to shoot responses, which have received less attention in previous studies. A. thaliana (ecotype Col-0) plants (28-d-old) were cultivated hydroponically in the presence of 0, 27, 108, and 216 µM arsenic in the form of sodium arsenate for five days. Translocation...

Apyrases in Arabidopsis thalianaReviews

R. Meng, L.Q. Zhu, Y.F. Yang, L.C. Zhu, Z.K. Hou, L. Jin, B.C. Wang

Biologia Plantarum 63: 38-42, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.005

Apyrases belong to the ATPase family of enzymes that hydrolyze phosphoanhydride bonds of nucleoside tri- and di-phosphates. These enzymes differ markedly from other phosphohydrolases due to their high specific activity, broad divalent cation requirement, broad nucleotide substrate specificity, and insensitivity to various inhibitors. In the past 30 years, apyrases have been frequently studied in mammals. In comparison, research of apyrases in plants has received little attention, despite the growth of plants being closely related to the apyrases. In this review, we summarize the research of the apyrases in Arabidopsis thaliana and point to the...

Effect of NaCl on the photosynthetic pathways of halophytic leaf succulent Sedum uniflorumBrief Communications

C.E. Martin, J.-M. Chiang, T.-C. Lin

Biologia Plantarum 63: 33-37, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.004

The effect of NaCl on the photosynthetic pathways of the only halophytic subtropical species Sedum uniflorum was examined in the field in northern Taiwan and in the laboratory. Plants growing in the field exhibited CAM-cycling regardless of salt content in their tissues. In contrast, NaCl treatment in the laboratory induced CAM photosynthesis, while control plants exhibited a C₃-CAM intermediacy. This high level of photosynthetic pathway variablility matches that of other Sedum species.

Rare earth elements in plantsReviews

M. Kovaříková, I. Tomášková, P. Soudek

Biologia Plantarum 63: 20-32, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.003

Since 1960, the positive effects of rare earth elements (REE) on crop physiology have been observed, and support for photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, secondary metabolites, or enzymes has been reported in 40% of studies. A higher content of chlorophylls a and b as well as carotenoids have been found along with an increased efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry and electron transfer rates. An increased activity of a key photosynthetic enzyme was also found in several plants growing in soil with a higher content of REE. An appropriate amount of REE also activates the antioxidant activity of peroxidase, superoxide dismutase,...

Mitochondrial respiration after combined action of dehydration and low temperature in pea seedlingsOriginal Papers

I.P. Generozova, P.A. Butsanets, A.G. Shugaev

Biologia Plantarum 63: 11-19, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.002

The impact of the individual and combined action of dehydration and low temperature on the respiratory activity of mitochondria isolated from epicotyls of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings was investigated. These organelles were isolated immediately after the treatments and after two and three days of recovery. After the treatments, the capacity of the energy-producing cytochrome pathway (CP) of mitochondrial oxidation decreased, while the capacity of the non-phosphorylating alternative respiratory pathway (AP) catalyzed by a CN-resistant oxidase was elevated. After returning the seedlings to normal growing conditions, a gradual...

Expression of genes encoding PIP aquaporins in tomato seeds exposed to blue radiation and mercuryOriginal Papers

J. Balarynová, M. Fellner

Biologia Plantarum 63: 1-10, 2019 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2019.001

Aquaporins control the specific transport of water and some other small molecules across membranes and are involved in various physiological processes. Plasma membrane aquaporins (PIPs) were shown to play an important role during tomato seed development. Therefore, we were interested in the participation of PIPs in seed germination and early seedling growth of wild type (WT) and the 7B-1 mutant, affected by blue light responses. We characterised the expression patterns of PIP-type aquaporin genes in these lines during different phases of seed germination and seedling growth after HgCl₂ (an aquaporin blocker) treatment. Further,...

Alternative splicing at the o2Italian locus in maize: one mutation, two proteinsBrief Communications

I. Mascheretti, A. Grasso, A. Viotti, M. Lauria

Biologia plantarum 62:835-839, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0824-1

Efficient virus-induced gene silencing in Brassica rapa using a turnip yellow mosaic virus vectorOriginal Papers

J. Yu, X.-D. Yang, Q. Wang, L.-W. Gao, Y. Yang, D. Xiao, T.-K. Liu, Y. Li, X.-L. Hou, C.-W. Zhang

Biologia plantarum 62:826-834, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0803-6

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing method used for unraveling gene functions. As an attractive alternative to mutant collections or stable transgenic plants, it has been widely used in reverse-genetics studies owing to its ease use and quick turnaround time. Turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) has the ability to induce VIGS in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the conventional vector construction is difficult and the efficiencies of the infection methods are low. Here, we improved the vector construction and viral infection methods, inserted an inverted-repeat fragment of the phytoene desaturase gene into...

Photochemical reflectance index and solar-induced fluorescence for assessing cotton photosynthesis under water-deficit stressOriginal Papers

Y. J. Zhang, M. Y. Hou, H. Y. Xue, L. T. Liu, H. C. Sun, C. D. Li, X. J. Dong

Biologia plantarum 62:817-825, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0821-4

Rapid and non-destructive assessment of water status is essential to enhance crop performance. This study aimed to evaluate photosynthetic performance and to monitor water status in cotton under field conditions. A two-year experiment was conducted with three irrigation regimes to measure the following parameters: photochemical reflectance index (PRI), structural independent pigment index (SIPI), water index (WI), solar-induced fluorescence (SIF; retrieved from reflectance by using Fraunhofer line-depth method), gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence (CF). The results showed that PRI decreased > 30 % in moderate drought (MD) and >50 % in...

Sulfur dioxide acts as an antioxidant and delays programmed cell death in wheat aleurone layers upstream of H₂S and NO signaling pathwaysOriginal Papers

K.-K. Sun, D.-B. Zhu, G.-F. Yao, K.-D. Hu, H. Zhang

Biologia plantarum 62:809-816, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0796-1

Sulfur dioxide is a widespread air pollutant and it also acts as a signaling molecule in various processes in mammals. However, the role of SO₂ in programmed cell death (PCD) in plants is unclear. Here we studied the role of SO₂ in gibberellin (GA)-treated wheat aleurone layers. The results showed that 100 μM SO₂ donor (NaHSO₃/Na₂SO₃) could effectively delay PCD and inhibit the coalescence of small protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) in aleurone cells treated with GA. Also, SO₂ could reduce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion in GA-treated aleurone layers....

Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the growth, photosynthetic traits, and antioxidative enzymes in tomato plantsOriginal Papers

X. P. Wang, Q. Q. Li, Z. M. Pei, S. C. Wang

Biologia plantarum 62:801-808, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0813-4

With the dramatic increase in nanotechnologies, it has become probable that biological systems will be exposed to excess of nanoparticles (NPs). However, the impact of NPs on plants, remains to be explored. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of ZnO NPs on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants. Plant growth, photosynthetic characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and activities of antioxidative enzymes were measured in 35-d-old plants. The ZnO NP treatments significantly inhibited tomato root and shoot growth, decreased the content of chlorophylls a and b, and reduced photosynthetic efficiency and some other...

Effects of 6-benzylaminopurine on photosystem II functionality and leaf anatomy of in vitro cultivated Aechmea blanchetianaOriginal Papers

J.P.R. Martins, E.R. Santos, L.C.A. Rodrigues, A.B.P.L. Gontijo, A.R. Falqueto

Biologia plantarum 62:792-800, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0822-3

Molecular cloning and characterization of a PR-5 like protein gene from Brassica campestris ssp. chinensisOriginal Papers

C. Liu, H. L. Liu, Y. Wang, D. Hu, D. Xiao, C. W. Zhang, X. L. Hou, Y. Li

Biologia plantarum 62:786-792, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0820-5

Downy mildew caused by Hyaloperonospora parasitica is a serious fungal disease in non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino). Pathogenesis-related 5 (PR-5) genes play an important role in plant resistance to disease invasion. In this study, a gene encoding pathogenesis-related 5-like (PR-5L) protein, named BcPR-5L, was successfully cloned from non-heading Chinese cabbage. The cDNA sequence of BcPR-5L is 747 bp in length. It encoded a protein of molecular mass of 25.78 kDa, an isoelectric point of 4.42, and containing 248 amino acids. Multiple sequence alignment indicated that BcPR-5L...

Salt oversensitivity derived from mutation breeding improves salinity tolerance in barley via ion homeostasisOriginal Papers

S. Yousefirad, H. Soltanloo, S.S. Ramezanpour, K. Zaynalinezhad, V. Shariati

Biologia plantarum 62:775-785, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0823-2

In vitro regeneration for two Populus hybrid clones. The role of pectin domains in cell processes underlying shoot organogenesis inductionOriginal Papers

P. García-Angulo, I. Villar, L. Giner-Robles, M. L. Centeno

Biologia plantarum 62:762-774, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0819-y

An efficient plant regeneration protocol has been established for two commercial Populus hybrid clones, MC (Populus × euramericana) and UNAL (Populus × interamericana). The culture of internode segments on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 0.5 μM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 4 μM N⁶-benzyladenine for 7 weeks (2 weeks in absence of activated charcoal and 5 weeks in its presence) resulted in the highest frequency of shoot regeneration (100 % for MC and 82 % for UNAL). All regenerated shoots longer than 2 cm rooted on half-strength MS medium, independent of the addition of 0.1 μM NAA. Nevertheless,...

Apoplastic hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion exhibited different regulatory functions in salt-induced oxidative stress in wheat leavesOriginal Papers

Q. Li, L. R. Lv, Y. J. Teng, L. B. Si, T. Ma, Y. L. Yang

Biologia plantarum 62:750-762, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0808-1

The present work aimed to investigate the mechanisms of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generations and to explore their roles in the regulation of antioxidative responses in the wheat leaves under salinity. Except for an insignificant change of NO content and nitrate reductase (NR) activity due to 50 mM NaCl, NO, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion (O₂^*- ), hydroxyl radical (^*OH), chlorophyll and malondialdehyde content, as well as activities of nitric oxide synthase, NR, peroxidases (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase rose in response to different NaCl concentrations. Meanwhile, leaf...

Transcriptional profiling of wheat and wheat-rye addition lines to identify candidate genes for aluminum toleranceOriginal Papers

N. Salvador-Moreno, P. R. Ryan, I. Holguín, E. Delhaize, C. Benito, F. J. Gallego

Biologia plantarum 62:741-749, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0804-5

A large-scale expression profiling study was performed to investigate candidate genes associated with the two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for aluminum (Al) tolerance (Alt1 and Alt2). They have been identified in rye and localized on chromosomes 6R and 3R, respectively. Materials employed were hexaploid wheat (cv. Chinese Spring), and two wheat-rye addition lines (3R-AL and 6R-AL). Seedlings were treated with and without Al for 24 h to examine genes up-regulated or down-regulated by Al. Measurements of root growth at different Al concentrations showed the Al tolerance was higher in 3R-AL than in 6R-AL and wheat. Initial transcriptomic results revealed...

OsNOX3, encoding a NADPH oxidase, regulates root hair initiation and elongation in riceOriginal Papers

S. S. Wang, X. N. Zhu, J. X. Lin, W. J. Zheng, B. T. Zhang, J. Q. Zhou, J. Ni, Z. C. Pan, S. H. Zhu, W. N. Ding

Biologia plantarum 62:732-740, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0814-3

Root hairs play important roles in plant nutrient and water acquisition. To better understand the genetic mechanism controlling root hair development in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a rice mutant with root hair defects was isolated and characterized. Cryo-scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the density and length of root hairs in the mutant were significantly reduced compared to wild type (WT). Map-based cloning and complementation test revealed that the mutation occurred in a NADPH oxidase gene OsNOX3 (LOC_Os01g61880). The OsNOX3 displays high sequence similarity with the previously characterized NOX genes RTH5...

Mapping QTLs for chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence in wheat under heat stressOriginal Papers

N. Bhusal, P. Sharma, S. Sareen, A. K. Sarial

Biologia plantarum 62:721-731, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0811-6

Heat stress, one of the major abiotic stresses in wheat, affects chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll content and thereby photosynthesis. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with these traits under terminal heat stress, 251 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross HD 2808/HUW510 were phenotyped. Using composite interval mapping, 40 QTLs were identified; 17 were related to conditions after timely sowing and 23 to heat stress after late sowing. The various parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence were associated with 23 QTLs, which were located on chromosomes 1A, 2A, 3A, and 2D and explained 3.67 to 18.04 % of phenotypic...

Phylogenetic and transcriptional analysis of chrysanthemum GRAS transcription factorsOriginal Papers

T. W. Gao, W. W. Zhang, A. P. Song, C. An, J. J. Xin, J. F. Jiang, Z. Y. Guan, F. D. Chen, S. M. Chen

Biologia plantarum 62:711-720, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0816-1

The GRAS transcription factors encoding proteins ranging from 400 to 700 residues are recognized by their conserved C terminus. Here, a set of 23 CmGRAS genes was identified from a scan of the chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) transcriptome. A phylogenetic analysis implied that nine of these genes could be assigned orthologs to the GRAS gene family, and that four of them formed two pairs of paralogs. A phylogenetic analysis of the GRAS protein family based on the chrysanthemum and recent study of eight representative species of angiosperms showed that most of the CmGRAS genes belonged to a recognized sub-group. CmGRAS4...

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in TaER genes and their association with carbon isotope discrimination in wheat genotypes under droughtOriginal Papers

T. A. Yasir, H. Ali, A. Wasaya, H. M. Aatif, M. Hussain, M. Farooq, A. W. Baloch, Y. G. Hu

Biologia plantarum 62:703-710, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0818-z

Candidate gene association studies implicate the detection of contributing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for the target traits and have been recommended as a promising technique to anatomize the complex characters in plants. ERECTA gene in plants controls different physiological functions. In this study, we identified SNPs in 1.1 kb partial sequences of TaER-1 and TaER-2 of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Thirty-nine SNPs were identified in the coding regions of TaER-1 gene in 33 wheat genotypes, of which 20 SNPs caused non-synonymous mutations while 19 SNPs produced synonymous mutations; while 31 SNPs were located...

Genome-wide identification and organization of seed storage protein genes of Cannabis sativaOriginal Papers

E. Ponzoni, I. M. Brambilla, I. Galasso

Biologia plantarum 62:693-702, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0810-7

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds have been recognized as a nutritional protein source for humans and animals. In this study, gene families encoding precursor polypeptides of three storage protein classes, including six 11S edestin, two 2S albumin and one 7S vicilin-like genes were identified and characterized from an inbred line of hemp. All edestins showed typical 11S globulin features but based on the amino acid composition, they were grouped in three edestin types (type1, -2 and -3). Genes encoding edestin type1 and -3, were very close to each other in a DNA fragment of 16 071 bp, whereas the two isoforms of edestin type2 were linked on a...

Comprehensive isolation and expression analysis of the flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes in Tricyrtis spp.Original Papers

M. Otani, Y. Kanemaki, F. Oba, M. Shibuya, Y. Funayama, M. Nakano

Biologia plantarum 62:684-692, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0802-7

Tricyrtis spp., which belong to the family Liliaceae, produce unique flowers, whose tepals have many reddish-purple spots. Although elucidation of a molecular mechanism of tepal spot formation and molecular breeding for flower colour alteration are desired for Tricyrtis spp., only one flavonoid biosynthesis-related gene, TrCHS encoding chalcone synthase (CHS), has been isolated so far. In the present study, comprehensive isolation and expression analysis of the other flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes were carried out in Tricyrtis sp. Six genes (TrCHI, TrF3H, TrF3'H, TrFLS, TrDFR, and TrANS) encoding...

Transcriptomic analyses reveal genotype- and organ-specific molecular responses to cold stress in Elymus nutansOriginal Papers

J.-J. Fu, J. C. Geng, Y.-J. Miao, Y.-M. Xu, T.-M. Hu, P.-Z. Yang

Biologia plantarum 62:671-683, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0812-5

Elymus nutans is an important alpine perennial forage of the Pooideae subfamily, that can survive subzero temperatures. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in E. nutans, we performed the transcriptional analysis by RNA-Seq in two genotypes, the tolerant Damxung (DX) and the sensitive Gannan (GN), under cold stress. The new E. nutans transcriptomes comprised 200 520/200 836 and 181 331/211 973 transcripts in leaves/crowns of DX and GN, respectively. More cold-stress-related genes were identified in leaves than in crowns of both genotypes throughout the whole cold stress. The most prominent functional...

Abscisic acid biosynthesis under water stress: anomalous behavior of the 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase1 (NCED1) gene in riceOriginal Papers

S. S. Changan, K. Ali, V. Kumar, N. K. Garg, A. Tyagi

Biologia plantarum 62:663-670, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-018-0807-2

The gene NCED1 encodes 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase, which catalyzes oxidative cleavage of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoids neoxanthin and violaxanthin to xanthoxin, a key step in the biosynthesis of abscisic acid in higher plants. In the present study, the complete NCED1 of 1 917 bp was cloned and characterized from rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. N22) as no earlier reports were available for its characterization from indica cultivar. The NCED1 had no intron and encoded a protein of 639 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 68.62 kD and pI of 6.07. The aliphatic index and grand average of hydropathicity...