Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Biotic and Abiotic Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 31829

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: physiological and molecular basis of plants’ adaptation to abiotic stresses; plant nutrition uptake and transport
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetables are important horticultural crops and provide essential nutrients in everyone’s daily life. However, during the growth and development, vegetables are frequently subjected to various environmental stresses, such as extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, and heavy metal pollution, causing yield and quality reductions as well as food safety concerns. Like other plants, vegetable crops first sense the external environmental stimuli and some signaling pathways are triggered, leading to alterations in gene expressions. These finally cause adaptive responses such as morphological, physiological, and biochemical modifications. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in our understanding of the responses and adaptation mechanisms of vegetable crops to various abiotic stresses.

Prof. Dr. Haijun Gong
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • vegetables
  • drought
  • salinity
  • heavy metal pollution
  • adaptive response
  • low temperature
  • high temperature

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2774 KiB  
Article
Chinese Cabbage BrCAP Has Potential Resistance against Plasmodiophora brassicae
by Jiawei Zou, Shiqi Gao, Bo Zhang, Wenjie Ge, Jing Zhang and Ruiqin Ji
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040517 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1596
Abstract
Clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin (P. brassicae) has seriously influenced the production of Brassica rapa crops, but the interaction mechanism between P. brassicae and Brassica rapa is not clear. In our previous study, a differentially expressed protein, G15, was [...] Read more.
Clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin (P. brassicae) has seriously influenced the production of Brassica rapa crops, but the interaction mechanism between P. brassicae and Brassica rapa is not clear. In our previous study, a differentially expressed protein, G15, was found between the roots of Chinese cabbage inoculated and un-inoculated with P. brassicae through two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry, and G15 was matched with Bra011464. In this study, Bra011464 was found to have a 94% percent identity with Arabidopsis thaliana CAP, named BrCAP. The expression of BrCAP was the highest in the root compared with the stems and leaves of Chinese cabbage, and its expression in the roots of Chinese cabbage inoculated with P. brassicae was significantly higher than that in the control. The results were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and in situ hybridization. Subcellular localization showed that BrCAP was localized on chloroplasts of leaf epidermal cells. To verify the function of BrCAP, it was found that the Arabidopsis thaliana mutant cap was more susceptible to infection with P. brassicae than the wild type (WT), which suggested that BrCAP has a potential role in the resistance progress of Chinese cabbage to P. brassicae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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14 pages, 3455 KiB  
Article
Antisense Overexpression of Gγ Subunit CsGG3.1-2 Reduces Soluble Sugar Content and Chilling Tolerance in Cucumber
by Longqiang Bai, Huixin Zhu, Yu Shi, Yaling Li, Yanxiu Miao, Xianchang Yu, Yi Zhang and Yansu Li
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020240 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1692
Abstract
Plant G protein γ subunits have multiple functions in growth and development processes and in abiotic stress responses. Few functions of Gγ in horticultural crops have been revealed thus far. In this study, the potential function of CsGG3.1-2, one of the two [...] Read more.
Plant G protein γ subunits have multiple functions in growth and development processes and in abiotic stress responses. Few functions of Gγ in horticultural crops have been revealed thus far. In this study, the potential function of CsGG3.1-2, one of the two alternative splice variants of Gγ gene CsGG3.1 in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), was investigated using transgenic plants overexpressing antisense CsGG3.1-2 under the control of the 35S promoter. The tolerance to chilling stress in transgenic plants was significantly decreased. Cold stress-related physiological parameters and the expression of CBFs and their downstream target genes were then measured. Compared with WT, the maximum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), antioxidative enzymes activities, soluble protein, and proline accumulation decreased significantly in transgenic plants treated with cold stress, whereas the malonaldehyde (MDA) content increased. However, the overexpression of antisense CsGG3.1-2 did not affect the induction of cold-inducible genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis showed the increased expression of CBF genes and their downstream target genes in transgenic plants, suggesting that CsGG3.1-2 affects cold responses via CBF-independent pathways in cucumber. At the same time, the sucrose and fructose contents decreased in transgenic plants under both normal and cold conditions. These findings suggest that soluble sugar deficiency is associated with chilling sensitivity in transgenic plants, and CsGG3.1-2 may have a role in regulating carbohydrate metabolism in cucumber. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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14 pages, 1326 KiB  
Article
Effects of Ultraviolet-B Radiation on the Regulation of Ascorbic Acid Accumulation and Metabolism in Lettuce
by Shujuan Liu, Lei Yu, Lipan Liu, Aihong Yang, Xingyu Huang, Anfan Zhu and Hua Zhou
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020200 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2028
Abstract
To understand the effect of ultraviolet (UV)-B irradiation on the antioxidant capacity and growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), we subjected lettuce plants to UV-B irradiation (15.55 kJ m−2 d−1) for 7 days and measured yield, photosynthetic performance, hydrogen [...] Read more.
To understand the effect of ultraviolet (UV)-B irradiation on the antioxidant capacity and growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), we subjected lettuce plants to UV-B irradiation (15.55 kJ m−2 d−1) for 7 days and measured yield, photosynthetic performance, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), reduced glutathione (GSH), and ascorbic acid (AsA) contents, and the enzyme activity and expression of genes involving AsA recycling. UV-B exposure did not significantly decrease the fresh/dry weight of the lettuce shoots. The net photosynthesis rate, internal CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance decreased during the first 4 days of irradiation and light but recovered at day 7. In UV-B-treated plants, the levels of AsA, GSH, and H2O2 increased significantly and simultaneously, with a positive correlation found between H2O2 and AsA or GSH levels. UV-B exposure upregulated the expression level of most genes encoding the enzymes involving AsA recycling but downregulated the associated enzymatic activities. The increase of AsA content in UV-B-exposed lettuce might contribute to the AsA–GSH cycle, leading to downregulation of ascorbate oxidase (AO) enzymatic activity and gene expression. UV-B irradiation had a greater impact on metabolite levels than time of UV-B treatment. These results suggest that AsA homeostasis in UV-B-treated lettuce is regulated through a feedback loop between the expression and activity of enzymes associated with AsA recycling. Short-term UV-B supplementation (24 h) could be a promising approach to enhance AsA content in lettuce. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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20 pages, 1845 KiB  
Article
Heavy Metal Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Cultivars irrigated with Fly Ash-Treated Acid Mine Drainage
by Maropeng Vellry Raletsena, Nkoana Ishmael Mongalo and Rabelani Munyai
Horticulturae 2023, 9(2), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020192 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1993
Abstract
In water-scant regions, the reuse of (un)treated acid mine drainage effluent (AMD) water for crop irrigation has turned into a prerequisite. The study assesses the levels of heavy metals, and health risk assessment in two potato crop cultivars, namely, Fianna and Lady rosetta [...] Read more.
In water-scant regions, the reuse of (un)treated acid mine drainage effluent (AMD) water for crop irrigation has turned into a prerequisite. The study assesses the levels of heavy metals, and health risk assessment in two potato crop cultivars, namely, Fianna and Lady rosetta (both determinate and indeterminate) when exposed to irrigation with different fly ash: acid mine drainage amelioration ratios. The study investigates the health risk assessment in the potato tissues namely, stem, tubers, new and old leaves of the potato cultivars. The treatments constituted a control, 50% FA: AMD, 75% FA: AMD ratio, and 100% AMD (untreated AMD). The results showed that the heavy metals of plants irrigated with AMD mixed with FA was significantly affected differently at harvest. In summary, the concentration of Cd was over the WHO acceptable standards in untreated acid mine drainage water. Fianna recorded 1.34 mg/kg while a notably decrease was observed in Lady rosetta with (1.01 mg/kg). In any case, FA was proven to significantly lessen the Cd particles in both FA-AMD ratios: Cd content was 0.98 mg/kg and 0.84 mg/kg in 50% FA: AMD treatment for Fianna and Lady rosetta separately, while the recommended maximum limit is 0.1 mg/kg. With the readings recorded, they are slightly high according to the CODEX general standard for food contaminants and toxins in food and feed (CODEX STAN 193-1995). Then again, in 75% FA: AMD ratio, the Cd concentration was 0.04 mg/kg and 0.03 mg/kg for Fianna and Lady rosetta exclusively. It is in this way obvious that FA adsorbed the Cd ions, and the two cultivars fulfill the CODEX guideline, nonetheless the potato crop irrigated with a 75% FA: AMD ratio can be consumed by humans without causing any detrimental effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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14 pages, 4313 KiB  
Article
Overexpression of the SiLEA5 Gene in Saussurea involucrata Increases the Low-Temperature Tolerance of Transgenic Tomatoes
by Xiaoyan Liu, Wenwen Xia, Xiaoli Zhang, Aowei Li, Jiawang Qin, Huili Sun, Jin Li and Jianbo Zhu
Horticulturae 2022, 8(11), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8111023 - 2 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1957
Abstract
The late embryonic development abundant protein (LEA) is a family of proteins widely present in the body and related to osmoregulation. Saussurea involucrata is an extremely cold-tolerant plant. In our previous studies, we found that the LEAs gene in Saussurea involucrata has up-regulated [...] Read more.
The late embryonic development abundant protein (LEA) is a family of proteins widely present in the body and related to osmoregulation. Saussurea involucrata is an extremely cold-tolerant plant. In our previous studies, we found that the LEAs gene in Saussurea involucrata has up-regulated expression under low temperature. To evaluate the biological function of SiLEA5 protein under low-temperature stress and its potential in agricultural breeding, we isolated the SiLEA5 gene from Saussurea involucrata, constructed a plant overexpression vector, and transformed tomato. We found that SiLEA5 protein significantly increased the yield of transgenic tomatoes by increasing their photosynthetic capacity, including net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO2 concentration. Under low-temperature stress, the SiLEA5 protein can regulate proline metabolism and oxidative stress, which confers transgenic tomatos with cold resistance. Thus, our work provided evidence for the role of SiLEA5 protein in low-temperature stress resistance in plants, as well as potential applications in crop breeding and cold stress resistance research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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11 pages, 3188 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Greenness Value and Photosynthetic Rate of Tomato Leaves Based on Spectral Technologies
by Jitong Xu, Fang Wang, Zhe Zhang, Yuhang Guo, Yufeng Liu and Xiaofeng Ning
Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090837 - 12 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1707
Abstract
Tomatoes, a major vegetable crop, are not only delicious but can also prevent cancer and lower blood pressure. However, they are easily infected with diseases during the growth process, so it is of great significance to find a technology for nondestructive testing of [...] Read more.
Tomatoes, a major vegetable crop, are not only delicious but can also prevent cancer and lower blood pressure. However, they are easily infected with diseases during the growth process, so it is of great significance to find a technology for nondestructive testing of the tomato growth state. In this study, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to establish a prediction model of the tomato leaf greenness value and photosynthetic rate based on laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy and a hyperspectral imaging system. The results showed that the best preprocessing method for the fluorescence spectral model was SD+SNV, and the best methods for the hyperspectral model were FD+SNV and FD+MSC. The results for the prediction of the photosynthetic rate based on the fluorescence spectral and hyperspectral models were as follows: the coefficient of determination (R2) values were 0.9982 and 0.9739, respectively, and the root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP) values were 0.2781 and 0.3374, respectively. When measuring greenness, the R2 values were 0.9816 and 0.9595, and the RMSEP values were 0.1696 and 0.4032, respectively. The experimental results showed that the model based on the fluorescence spectrum had higher accuracy and lower deviation in the detection and prediction of the tomato growth state; these results provide a specific method and reference for subsequent research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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16 pages, 2382 KiB  
Article
Effects of Elevated Temperature and Salicylic Acid on Heat Shock Response and Growth of Potato Microplants
by Jelena Rudić, Danijel Pantelić, Jasmina Oljača and Ivana Momčilović
Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050372 - 24 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2569
Abstract
Potato is a globally important, highly heat-susceptible crop species. We investigated the effects of prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures and exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on microplant growth and heat-shock response (HSR) in three unrelated potato genotypes/cultivars. Long-term exposure to 29 °C (mild heat [...] Read more.
Potato is a globally important, highly heat-susceptible crop species. We investigated the effects of prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures and exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on microplant growth and heat-shock response (HSR) in three unrelated potato genotypes/cultivars. Long-term exposure to 29 °C (mild heat stress) caused a significant reduction in the number of surviving explants and shoot morphometric parameters in heat-sensitive genotypes, while exposure to 26 °C (warming) caused only a decline in shoot growth. Interestingly, 26 °C-temperature treatment stimulated root growth in some investigated genotypes, indicating a difference between favorable temperatures for potato shoot and root growth. SA showed a protective effect regarding potato shoot growth at 26 °C. At 29 °C, this effect was genotype-dependent. SA did not affect the number of roots and inhibited root elongation at all temperature treatments, indicating the difference between shoot and root responses to applied SA concentration. Although HSR is mainly considered rapid and short-lived, elevated transcript levels of most investigated HSFs and HSPs were detected after three weeks of heat stress. Besides, two StHSFs and StHSP21 showed elevated expression at 26 °C, indicating extreme potato heat-susceptibility and significance of HSR during prolonged warming. SA effects on HSFs and HSPs expression were minor and alterable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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10 pages, 1812 KiB  
Article
Low R/FR Ratio Affects Pakchoi’s Growth and Nitrate Content under Excess Nitrate Stress
by Libang Chen, Jia Huang, Qinglin Liu, Zelin Li, Xu Chen, Jiaxi Han, Yirong Gan, Yuexuan He, Chenxiang Jiang, Yunxin Tang and Xiaoting Zhou
Horticulturae 2022, 8(3), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8030186 - 22 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1974
Abstract
Nitrate accumulation is one of the main factors of secondary soil salinization in protected horticulture in China. Previous studies have shown that a low red(R)/far-red (FR) ratio can improve the salt tolerance of plants under NaCl stress. However, the effect of a low [...] Read more.
Nitrate accumulation is one of the main factors of secondary soil salinization in protected horticulture in China. Previous studies have shown that a low red(R)/far-red (FR) ratio can improve the salt tolerance of plants under NaCl stress. However, the effect of a low R/FR ratio on plant growth under nitrate stress is not clear. In order to explore the effect of a low R/FR ratio on the adaptability of pakchoi under high nitrogen stress, the growth index, soluble protein content, soluble sugar content, nitrate content, nitrate reductase activity and Nia2 gene expression of pakchoi’s leaves were measured. The results showed that a high level of nitrogen (the addition of 80 mmol · L−1 NO3 (N80) and 160 mmol · L−1 NO3 (N160)) inhibited the growth of pakchoi and promoted the accumulation of osmoregulation substances and nitrate content, respectively. The reduction of the R/FR ratio under high nitrogen stress (L80) increased the fresh weight of the plants under it by 19.0%, reduced the nitrate content in the leaves by 22.7%, increased the NR activity by 29.9%, and made the Nia2 gene expression more significant, compared with N80. There was a similar mitigation effect of a low R/FR ratio under 160 mmol · L−1 excessive NO3 stress. Therefore, the reduction of the R/FR ratio can effectively control the nitrate content and improve the adaptability of pakchoi under high nitrogen stress. Thus, there is a practical application prospect for a low R/FR ratio for the production of pakchoi under a high level of nitrogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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16 pages, 4397 KiB  
Article
Foliar Application of Potassium Mitigates Salinity Stress Conditions in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) through Reducing NaCl Toxicity and Enhancing the Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes
by Tayyaba Naz, Muhammad Mazhar Iqbal, Muhammad Tahir, Montaser M. Hassan, Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani, Mazhar Iqbal Zafar, Umber Ghafoor, Muhammad Akram Qazi, Ayman EL Sabagh and Mohamed I. Sakran
Horticulturae 2021, 7(12), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7120566 - 9 Dec 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5067
Abstract
Agronomic biofortification is the purposeful utilization of mineral fertilizers to increase the concentration of desired minerals in edible plant parts for enhancing their dietary intake. It is becoming crucial to enhance the dietary intake of K for addressing hidden hunger and related health [...] Read more.
Agronomic biofortification is the purposeful utilization of mineral fertilizers to increase the concentration of desired minerals in edible plant parts for enhancing their dietary intake. It is becoming crucial to enhance the dietary intake of K for addressing hidden hunger and related health issues such as cardiac diseases and hypertension. This study was designed to enhance the potassium concentration in edible parts of spinach through its foliar application under saline environment. The salinity levels of electrical conductivity (EC) = 4, 6, and 8 dS m−1 were applied using sodium chloride (NaCl) along with control. The levels of K for foliar sprays were 5 and 10 mM, along with control. The present experiment was performed under two factorial arrangements in a completely randomized design (CRD). After 60 days of sowing, the crop was harvested. Data regarding growth, ionic, physiological, and biochemical parameters, i.e., shoot dry weight, relative water content, electrolyte leakage, total chlorophyll content, tissue sodium (Na) and K concentration, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were recorded and those were found to be significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected by foliar application of K on spinach under saline conditions. The highest growth, physiological and biochemical responses of spinach were observed in response to foliar-applied K at 10 mM. It is concluded that agronomic bio-fortification by foliar use of K can be a useful strategy to increase tissue K intakes and minimize Na toxicity in the vegetables studied under saline conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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13 pages, 7555 KiB  
Article
RsSOS1 Responding to Salt Stress Might Be Involved in Regulating Salt Tolerance by Maintaining Na+ Homeostasis in Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
by Wanting Zhang, Jingxue Li, Junhui Dong, Yan Wang, Liang Xu, Kexin Li, Xiaofang Yi, Yuelin Zhu and Liwang Liu
Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110458 - 3 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3296
Abstract
Radish is a kind of moderately salt-sensitive vegetable. Salt stress seriously decreases the yield and quality of radish. The plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter protein Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1) plays a crucial role in protecting plant cells against salt stress, [...] Read more.
Radish is a kind of moderately salt-sensitive vegetable. Salt stress seriously decreases the yield and quality of radish. The plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter protein Salt Overly Sensitive 1 (SOS1) plays a crucial role in protecting plant cells against salt stress, but the biological function of the RsSOS1 gene in radish remains to be elucidated. In this study, the RsSOS1 gene was isolated from radish genotype ‘NAU-TR17’, and contains an open reading frame of 3414 bp encoding 1137 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RsSOS1 had a high homology with BnSOS1, and clustered together with Arabidopsis plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter (AtNHX7). The result of subcellular localization indicated that the RsSOS1 was localized in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, RsSOS1 was strongly induced in roots of radish under 150 mmol/L NaCl treatment, and its expression level in salt-tolerant genotypes was significantly higher than that in salt-sensitive ones. In addition, overexpression of RsSOS1 in Arabidopsis could significantly improve the salt tolerance of transgenic plants. Meanwhile, the transformation of RsSOS1△999 could rescue Na+ efflux function of AXT3 yeast. In summary, the plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter RsSOS1 plays a vital role in regulating salt-tolerance of radish by controlling Na+ homeostasis. These results provided useful information for further functional characterization of RsSOS1 and facilitate clarifying the molecular mechanism underlying salt stress response in radish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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19 pages, 2635 KiB  
Article
Unravelling the Role of Piriformospora indica in Combating Water Deficiency by Modulating Physiological Performance and Chlorophyll Metabolism-Related Genes in Cucumis sativus
by Mohamed E. Abdelaziz, Mohamed A. M. Atia, Mohamed Abdelsattar, Suzy M. Abdelaziz, Taha A. A. Ibrahim and Emad A. Abdeldaym
Horticulturae 2021, 7(10), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7100399 - 14 Oct 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2910
Abstract
Water stress is the most critical aspect restricting the development of agriculture in regions with scarce water resources, which requires enhancing irrigation water-saving strategies. The current work discusses the potential application of the plant-strengthening root endophyte Piriformospora indica against moderate (25% less irrigation [...] Read more.
Water stress is the most critical aspect restricting the development of agriculture in regions with scarce water resources, which requires enhancing irrigation water-saving strategies. The current work discusses the potential application of the plant-strengthening root endophyte Piriformospora indica against moderate (25% less irrigation water) and severe (50% less irrigation water) water stress in comparison to the optimum irrigation conditions of greenhouse cucumbers. P. indica improved growth, nutrient content, and photosynthesis apparatus under normal or water-stress conditions. On the other hand, moderate and severe water stress reduced yield up to 47% and 83%, respectively, in non-colonized cucumber plants, while up to 28 and 78%, respectively, in P. indica-colonized plants. In terms of water-use efficiency (WUE), P. indica improved the WUE of colonized cucumber plants grown under moderate (26 L/kg) or severe stress (73 L/kg) by supporting colonized plants in producing higher yield per unit volume of water consumed by the crop in comparison to non-colonized plants under the same level of moderate (43 L/kg) or severe (81 L/kg) water stress. Furthermore, P. indica increased the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content, activity levels of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) with an apparent clear reduction in the abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline contents and stomatal closure compared to non-stressed plants under both water-stress levels. In addition, chlorophyll a, b, a + b contents were increased in the leaves of the colonized plants under water-stress conditions. This improvement in chlorophyll content could be correlated with a significant increment in the transcripts of chlorophyll biosynthesis genes (protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase [POR], chlorophyll a oxygenase [CAO]) and a reduction in the chlorophyll degradation genes (PPH, pheophorbide a oxygenase [PAO], and red chlorophyll catabolite reductase [RCCR]). In conclusion, P. indica has the potential to enhance the cucumber yield grown under moderate water stress rather than severe water stress by improving WUE and altering the activity levels of antioxidant enzymes and chlorophyll metabolism-related genes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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15 pages, 2702 KiB  
Communication
Expression Profiling of Heat Shock Protein Genes as Putative Early Heat-Responsive Members in Lettuce
by Yeeun Kang, Suk-Woo Jang, Hee Ju Lee, Derek W. Barchenger and Seonghoe Jang
Horticulturae 2021, 7(9), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090312 - 15 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3244
Abstract
High temperatures due to global warming can cause harmful effects on the productivity of lettuce, a cool-season crop. To identify lettuce heat shock protein (HSP) genes that could be involved in early responses to heat stress in plants, we compared RNA [...] Read more.
High temperatures due to global warming can cause harmful effects on the productivity of lettuce, a cool-season crop. To identify lettuce heat shock protein (HSP) genes that could be involved in early responses to heat stress in plants, we compared RNA transcriptomes between lettuce plants with and without heat treatment of 37 °C for 1 h. Using transcriptome sequencing analyses, a total of 7986 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified including the top five, LsHSP70A, LsHSP70B, LsHSP17.3A, LsHSP17.9A and LsHSP17.9B, which were the most highly differentially expressed genes. In order to investigate the temporal expression patterns of 24 lettuce HSP genes with a fold-change greater than 100 under heat stress, the expression levels of the genes were measured by qRT-PCR at 0, 1, 4, 8, 14, and 24 h time points after heat treatment. The 24 LsHSP genes were classified into three groups based on the phylogenetic analysis and/or major domains available in each protein, and we provided a potential link between the phylogenetic relationships and expression patterns of the LsHSP genes. Our results showed putative early heat-responsive lettuce HSP genes that could be possible candidates as breeding guides for the development of heat-tolerant lettuce cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses of Vegetable Crops)
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