Search Results (2,775)

Chamaecrista nomame (Siebold) H. Ohashi (C. nomame), a leguminous plant traditionally consumed in East Asia, contains diverse bioactive phytochemicals, but whether its activities act convergently under obesity-related pathological conditions remains unclear. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and insulin-sensitizing effects of a 40% ethanol extract of C. nomame (ECNE) and its marker compound luteolin in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, differentiating and mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced insulin-resistant adipocytes. In LPS-stimulated macrophages, ECNE and luteolin reduced nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β) production, accompanied by suppression of nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. In differentiating adipocytes, both reduced lipid accumulation and downregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α, and adipocyte protein 2. In mature adipocytes, they enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and Akt phosphorylation. In TNF-α-challenged adipocytes, pretreatment partially restored glucose uptake and Akt phosphorylation while attenuating IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 production. ECNE exerted effects equal to or greater than those of luteolin at equivalent luteolin-based concentrations, indicating contributions from additional phenolic constituents. These findings support ECNE as a multifunctional natural resource against obesity-associated inflammation and insulin resistance. Full article

Verticillium wilt (VW), caused by the soil-borne phytopathogen Verticillium dahliae, is a devastating vascular disease that severely threatens global cotton production and causes substantial economic losses. Jasmonic acid (JA) signaling plays a crucial role in plant innate immunity; however, the molecular mechanisms governing JA biosynthesis during cotton defense responses to V. dahliae infection remain largely elusive. In this study, we identified that GhAOS1 (allene oxide synthase 1), a key rate-limiting enzyme-encoding gene in the JA biosynthetic pathway, was rapidly and significantly induced by V. dahliae infection and exclusively localized in chloroplasts. Functional analysis in GhAOS1-silenced cotton and overexpressing Arabidopsis plants demonstrated that GhAOS1 positively regulates resistance to V. dahliae. Transcriptome analysis of GhAOS1-silenced cotton plants showed that DEGs are significantly enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and α-linolenic acid metabolism pathways. Consistent with these findings, silencing GhAOS1 significantly reduced endogenous JA levels and suppressed the expression of defense-related genes and JA biosynthetic genes in cotton. Furthermore, we identified that the transcription factor GhWRKY70 directly binds to the W-box cis-acting element in the GhAOS1 promoter through Y1H, LUC, and EMSA, which activated GhAOS1 transcription. Silencing GhWRKY70 in cotton significantly enhanced plant susceptibility to V. dahliae and suppressed the expression of JA signaling pathway-related genes. Collectively, our results elucidate that GhWRKY70 positively regulates cotton resistance to VW by activating GhAOS1-mediated JA biosynthesis, revealing a novel GhWRKY70-GhAOS1 regulatory module that integrates JA signaling to coordinate cotton immune responses against V. dahliae. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of JA-mediated defense and offers potential targets for molecular breeding of VW-resistant cotton. Full article

Lectin receptor-like kinases (LecRLKs) are a large subfamily of receptor-like kinases (RLKs), and their N-terminal lectin domain is predicted to reversibly bind to carbohydrates. Within this family, G-type LecRLKs represent a distinct subclass defined by an extracellular S-locus glycoprotein (SLG) domain, which was originally identified for its role in governing self-incompatibility in Brassica species. Emerging evidence suggests that G-type LecRLKs are involved in plant immunity; however, only a small fraction have been functionally characterized, leaving the roles of most family members largely unknown. In this study, we identified RK3 (Receptor Kinase 3) as the most strongly induced gene within the G-type LecRLK clade VI upon infection with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). Through both gain- and loss-of-function analyses, we demonstrated that RK3 positively regulates flg22-induced immune signaling events, including oxidative burst and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation, as well as downstream responses such as defense gene expression and ethylene production. Remarkably, the immune-enhancing activity of RK3 does not require its kinase domain. Critically, both full-length RK3 and a kinase-deleted variant (RK3-ΔK) constitutively interact with FLS2 (Flagellin-Sensing 2) and BAK1 (BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1). This provides direct evidence that RK3 functions primarily as a co-regulatory component within the PRR complex, independent of its kinase activity. Moreover, ectopic expression of RK3 in tomato enhanced resistance to Pst DC3000, highlighting its potential utility in engineering disease resistance in crops. Thus, RK3 reveals a non-canonical, kinase-independent mechanism by which a G-type LecRLK potentiates plant immunity, expanding our understanding of RLK signaling complexity. Full article

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) rank among the most economically destructive soilborne pathogens worldwide, causing annual crop losses estimated at USD 125–175 billion. Traditional management of plant parasitic nematodes has depended significantly on synthetic nematicides; however, increasing regulatory constraints, environmental pollution, and the rise of resistant nematode populations have generated an urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Humic substances (HS), comprising humic acids, fulvic acids, and humins derived primarily from leonardite and lignite, represent biologically active components of soil organic matter. Their different functional groups, like carboxylic, phenolic, and carbonyl groups, have direct nematicidal and nematostatic effects by stopping eggs from hatching, slowing down juvenile development, and lowering infectivity. They also indirectly improve soil structure, nutrient bioavailability, and the composition of the rhizosphere microbiome. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp., suppress PPN populations through antibiotic biosynthesis, cuticle-degrading hydrolytic enzymes, nematostatic volatile organic compounds, and elicitation of induced systemic resistance (ISR). This review methodically analyzes the individual and synergistic processes by which HS and PGPR inhibit PPNs and enhance plant growth. Humic compounds strongly promote PGPR rhizosphere colonization, augmenting microbial metabolic activity and bioinoculant stability, hence producing combinatorial suppressive effects unattainable by either input independently. The combined HS-PGPR approach is reliable and environmentally sustainable for comprehensive nematode control, requiring multidisciplinary research to achieve global sustainable agriculture. Full article

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum Owen (FOC) is a major disease affecting cucumber production. Developing environmentally friendly prevention and control strategies is essential for managing cucumber Fusarium wilt (CFW). Bacillus velezensis is a beneficial microorganism with biocontrol potential against plant diseases. To investigate the biocontrol efficacy and induced disease resistance mechanism of B. velezensis FJ17-4 against CFW, the biocontrol effect of FJ17-4 on CFW was determined through indoor pot cultivation experiments, and the transcriptome of cucumber root samples treated with FJ17-4 was sequenced and analyzed by RNA-Seq technology. The results showed that CFW incidence was significantly reduced after FJ17-4 treatment, with 68.75% control efficacy, higher than that of Kasugamycin. A total of 1041 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were induced, including 477 upregulated and 564 downregulated genes. DEGs associated with plant–pathogen interaction pathways (such as carbon metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and amino acid biosynthesis), calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling pathway, and plant hormone signaling pathways [such as salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), and jasmonic acid (JA)] were induced. These responses activated the disease resistance system of cucumber against CFW. Quantitative RT-PCR validation of 10 annotated DEGs confirmed consistent expression trends with the transcriptomic data. The results indicate that FJ17-4-induced disease resistance involves multiple genes and coordinated regulation of metabolisms, with hormone-mediated defense signaling pathways playing important roles. The transcriptome sequencing data provides a scientific basis for exploring the induced disease resistance mechanism of FJ17-4 and developing environmentally friendly biocontrol strategies. Full article

Global warming-induced extreme heatwaves present a severe threat to global tomato yield and production stability. To elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), this study utilized label-free quantitative proteomics to profile alterations in protein abundance in tomato leaves in response to heat stress. A total of 294 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, with function enrichment in the systematic activation of core stress-responsive biological processes, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, the endoplasmic reticulum protein processing, and glutathione metabolism. Among them, heat shock protein (HSP) family members exhibited the most significant changes, particularly two small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), designated as SlsHSP1 and SlHSP17.4. Functional validation showed that silencing either SlsHSP1 or SlHSP17.4 drastically impaired heat tolerance in tomato plants. Specifically, silenced lines displayed excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and reduced antioxidant enzyme activities, with SlsHSP1-silenced plants showing more severe heat-induced phenotypic damage. Subcellular localization assays further demonstrated SlsHSP1 was located in the ER and SlHSP17.4 in the nucleus. Collectively, this study unravels multiple heat defense regulatory networks in tomato, in which organelle-specific sHSPs like SlsHSP1 and SlHSP17.4 synergistically maintain protein homeostasis and cellular redox balance, conferring broad-spectrum stress resistance in plants under high-temperature stress. Full article

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have garnered substantial research interest in recent years due to their biodegradability, low toxicity, and potent antimicrobial properties against various plant pathogens. As a typical herbivore-induced plant volatile (HIPV) elicited by Nilaparvata lugens (Brown planthopper, BPH), (E)-2-hexenal has been identified as a promising natural antimicrobial agent. In this study, we investigated the protective potential of (E)-2-hexenal against Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) in rice, focusing on both its direct antifungal activity and host-mediated defense mechanisms. In vitro antifungal assays demonstrated that treatment with 100 μL/mL (E)-2-hexenal resulted in a 91.07% inhibition of R. solani mycelial growth after 48 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and chitinase activity analysis revealed that (E)-2-hexenal suppressed fungal growth by disrupting the structural integrity of the pathogen cell wall. Furthermore, 100 μL/mL (E)-2-hexenal effectively conferred protection to detached rice leaves. Whole-plant inoculation assays confirmed that (E)-2-hexenal pretreatment significantly alleviated disease symptoms and triggered systemic resistance in rice plants. Physiological and biochemical analyses showed that (E)-2-hexenal treatment enhanced the activities of defense-related enzymes, elevated hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels, and promoted the accumulation of defensive metabolites in rice leaves. HPLC-MS quantification further revealed significant increases in the endogenous levels of jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). Transcriptomic KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly involved in alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, diterpenoid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant–pathogen interaction, and plant hormone signal transduction. Collectively, these results suggest that (E)-2-hexenal enhances rice resistance to sheath blight disease via a dual-action mechanism: direct inhibition of fungal development and activation of host immune responses. Our findings highlight the potential application of (E)-2-hexenal and other VOCs in developing eco-friendly strategies for sustainable rice disease management. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Naxi people in Northwest Yunnan of China have used alcohol-soaked Pleione Pseudobulbus, which is the Pseudobulbus of Pleione bulbocodioides Rolfe (PBR), for lung diseases and tumors for a long period of time. This study aims to explore underlying mechanisms of bioactive ingredients in PBR, as well as to underscore the synergy between traditional medicine and modern pharmacological research. Methods: We verified the anti-tumor effects of the PBR extract through in vitro cell experiments, and explored its underlying mechanisms by combining untargeted metabolomics with network pharmacology to predict the related targets. Results: The anti-tumor potential of PBR extracts was systematically evaluated by integrating chemical profiling with in vitro cell-based assays. Untargeted metabolomics tentatively annotated metabolites spanning 12 major chemical classes, several of which have been previously reported to possess anti-tumor activity. To validate these annotations, prioritized candidates were further examined by LC-MS/MS against authentic reference standards at the nanogram scale, which confirmed the presence of sclareol—a naturally occurring diterpene with documented anti-tumor properties—as a constituent of PBR. Consistent with this chemical evidence, the PBR extract exerted multi-faceted anti-tumor effects in A549 lung cancer cells: it significantly suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion; induced G0/G1-phase cell-cycle arrest; disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential; and modulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Conclusions: By highlighting the pharmacological properties of cultivated PBR, we identified 118 overlapping targets between PBR compounds and lung disease-related targets, and we further selected 25 core lung cancer targets with high topological importance. This study suggests that the primary active compounds of Pleione bulbocodioides (Franch.) Rolfe may exert anti-lung cancer activity, potentially through targeting the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance pathway and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, in silico molecular docking suggested that the two major active compounds exhibited favorable predicted binding affinities with four core targets, particularly EGFR and AKT1, providing a basis for further experimental validation. These results support the potential value of Naxi traditional medicine and the need to further research onthese medicinal plants, thereby promoting Chinese herb medicine conservation efforts in the Naxi region. Full article

Fusarium graminearum infection of maize induces complex transcriptional reprogramming, yet existing differential-expression and local graph convolutional approaches struggle to capture long-range and multi-scale regulatory dependencies. We propose DC-FusionGNN, a dual-channel fusion graph neural network for key resistance-gene identification. Based on the transcriptome dataset GSE174508, we first construct a comprehensive gene interaction network by integrating a WGCNA co-expression network with a STRING-based interaction network. The left channel combines structure-aware propagation with a Transformer-based global self-attention mechanism to model long-range cross-module dependencies, while the right channel couples GraphSAGE with a GCN to capture local topology and neighborhood heterogeneity. Embeddings from the two channels are concatenated to form a unified gene representation, trained via self-supervised link prediction. Compared with baseline graph neural networks, DC-FusionGNN achieves competitive and overall improved performance across multiple metrics, and robustness and independent cross-species (rice, GSE39635) experiments further confirm its stability and generalization ability. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses show that the top-ranked candidate genes are significantly enriched in plant defense responses, hormone signaling, and secondary metabolism, supporting the biological relevance of the model’s predictions. Full article

As a non-pathogenic oomycete, Pythium oligandrum possesses unique advantages, particularly in the context of being a biological control agent. With the increasing awareness of consumer consciousness, people are paying more attention to the use of environmentally friendly strategies in plant disease prevention and control. Pythium oligandrum is a type of biocontrol oomycete that can be developed as a biological control agent, and it does not have adverse effects on humans in the prevention and control of plant diseases. Consequently, there is increasing scientific interest in the beneficial plant–microbe interactions mediated by P. oligandrum. Currently, the main points of focus regarding the beneficial role of P. oligandrum in plant interactions are as follows: (i) P. oligandrum can activate plant defense responses and cause plants to produce resistance, thus protecting them from disease attacks; (ii) it is a strong mycoparasite that can coil around various oomycetes and fungi, directly killing pathogenic microorganisms; (iii) in addition, it can also promote plant growth. In this paper, we will discuss the aforementioned three main features in detail. Full article

Alternaria blight, caused by fungi of the genus Alternaria, is one of the most common and damaging diseases affecting tomatoes, leading to significant yield losses. The intensive use of chemical fungicides faces the problems of pathogen resistance development and negative environmental impacts. This study investigated the possibility of using RNA interference technology based on exogenous double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to protect tomatoes against the causal agent of early blight (EB), Alternaria alternata. Key genes of the pathogen A. alternata were selected as targets: Alt-a1 (a major allergen and virulence factor), TEF1a (translation elongation factor 1-alpha) and β-Tub (β-tubulin). Specific dsRNAs were synthesized in vitro and applied to tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom) simultaneously with inoculation of A. alternata strain C7.24-T2-L-F1 spores. Visual assessment, measurement of chlorophyll A and B, and real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that treatment with dsRNAs targeting the Alt-a1, TEF1a and β-Tub genes significantly suppressed infection development, reducing the amount of pathogen DNA in plant tissues by 7 to 27 times depending on the dsRNA type. The most effective was dsRNA to the Alt-a1 gene. Thus, the obtained results demonstrate the promise of spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) as a strategy for protecting tomato plants against the pathogen A. alternata. Full article

Selenium (Se) is an important micronutrient that is required in very small amounts and plays a significant role in enhancing plant growth, stress resistance, and fruit quality. In this study, we investigated the effects of different sodium selenite concentrations (CK, 0 mg/L; Se1, 0.50 mg/L; Se2, 1.00 mg/L, Se3, 2.00; and Se4, 3.00 mg/L) on the growth, nutrient absorption, antioxidant capacity, and leaf metabolome of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Brigitta’) in hydroponic culture. Our results showed that moderate Se concentration (1.00 mg/L, Se2) had noticeable enhancements in key traits like taller plants, thicker stems, a greater number of leaves, and stem fresh weight, with increases of 60.23%, 61.90%, 36.05%, and 87.97%, respectively, compared to the CK. In addition, the appropriate application of Se fertilizer (1.0 mg/L, Se2) can enhance the absorption of macronutrients by plants, with the total contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) increasing by 48.11%, 15.85%, and 14.25%, respectively, compared to CK. In comparison to CK, the content and accumulation of total Se rose dramatically under the Se4 treatment, showing increases of 2300% and 2514%. The contents of chlorophyll and antioxidant enzyme activities were maximized at Se2, while excessive Se (Se4) led to oxidative damage, as indicated by elevated MDA, H₂O₂, and O₂⁻ levels. Moreover, metabolomic analysis revealed that moderate Se concentration (Se2) significantly altered metabolic pathways related to aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, and ABC transporters, with downregulation of key metabolites in sugar and organic acid metabolism (e.g., α-D-glucose-6-phosphate, L-lactic acid, maleic acid). In contrast, high Se concentration (Se4) disrupted these pathways and promoted volatile compound accumulation. These findings demonstrate that moderate Se application enhances blueberry growth and quality by regulating nutrient uptake, antioxidant defense, and primary metabolism, whereas excessive Se induces metabolic imbalance and oxidative stress. Overall, moderate Se fertilizer (1.00 mg/L) can significantly enhance the growth and quality of blueberries, while excessive selenium may have adverse effects. Full article

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Mutations in the TP53 gene lead to a loss of tumor suppressor function and an oncogenic gain of function for the protein, resulting in a more invasive, metastatic, and chemoresistant phenotype. Diverse structural studies have demonstrated that mutant p53 core domain unfolding is not irreversible. Thus, reactivation toward its wild-type-like conformation or inactivation of its mutant p53 capacities may restore the expression of genes in its tumor suppressor pathways, resulting in enhanced responses to current therapies. Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a phytoalexin naturally found in more than 70 plant species that has widely proven antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic properties, as well as a capacity to reverse multidrug resistance in various cancer types. Interestingly, it has recently been demonstrated that resveratrol directly interacts with the p53 core domain and reduces mutant p53 aberrant aggregation. In this context, our study aims to elucidate whether resveratrol may induce antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic pathways regardless of a mutant background. We observed that resveratrol has an antiproliferative effect in cancer cells, independent of p53 status, and leads to apoptosis after 48 h of treatment. Resveratrol also induces the expression of p53 tumor suppressor target genes, which are involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Even though the previous effects are more significant in cells expressing wild-type p53, resveratrol drastically sensitizes all cancer cell lines, regardless of p53 status, to cisplatin treatment, making it a promising enhancer compound to overcome chemoresistance associated with p53. Full article

Low-temperature stress significantly limits plant growth, development, and productivity, posing a major environmental constraint. The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is particularly vulnerable to low temperatures, underscoring the crucial need to enhance cold tolerance in potato breeding efforts for sustainable production. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors serve as central regulators of plant developmental processes and stress responses; however, their functional role in cold tolerance in tetraploid potato remains poorly understood. Here, we report a systematic characterization of the bZIP gene family in tetraploid potato and provide preliminary evidence that StbZIP104 enhances plant cold tolerance. A total of 191 StbZIP genes were identified and classified into 11 subfamilies, exhibiting uneven chromosomal distribution and expansion primarily driven by whole-genome and segmental duplication. Promoter cis-element analysis, together with GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, indicated that StbZIP genes are broadly associated with hormone signaling, stress responses, signal transduction, and environmental adaptation. Expression profiling under low-temperature treatment revealed eight cold-inducible StbZIP genes (log₂FC ≥ 1 and FDR < 0.05), among which StbZIP104 was strongly induced (log₂FC ≥ 2) and showed 5.36-fold higher expression in highly cold-resistant cultivars than in cold-sensitive cultivars. Subcellular localization confirmed that StbZIP104 is a nuclear-localized protein. Functional validation confirmed that overexpressing StbZIP104 notably improved cold tolerance in transgenic Samsun NN tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun NN). This was supported by heightened superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities, increased levels of soluble protein and soluble sugars, and decreased malondialdehyde content compared to the wild type under cold stress. This study establishes a basis for the functional characterization of the bZIP gene family in tetraploid potato and serves as a theoretical reference for understanding the mechanisms that govern cold tolerance in this species. Full article

Understanding how plants respond to high-energy ionizing radiation is essential for developing resilient crops for controlled-environment agriculture and future space exploration. This study investigates whether carbon-ion (¹²C) irradiation of dry seeds can modulate early development in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and induce dose-dependent responses relevant to controlled-environment agriculture and space farming. Dry seeds of red- and green-leaf morphotypes were exposed to increasing radiation doses (0.3, 1, 10, 20, and 25 Gy) and evaluated for germination, early growth, anatomical traits, and polyphenol content. While germination remained unaffected, seedling growth showed a hormetic response: low doses (0.3–1 Gy) promoted elongation of roots and hypocotyls, whereas higher doses (10–25 Gy) progressively inhibited growth. Anatomical changes in vascular traits and increased polyphenol levels at low doses indicated structural and metabolic adaptations enhancing early stress resistance. Notably, the two morphotypes responded differently: red-leaf lettuce exhibited stronger early vigor, higher biomass accumulation, and relatively greater anatomical stability, particularly at low to moderate doses, while the green-leaf type showed earlier and more pronounced growth inhibition, likely associated with differences in phenolic metabolism and resource allocation. These findings suggest that carbon-ion irradiation induces a hormetic response capable of boosting early vigor and triggering acclimatory processes in lettuce, with morphotype-specific differences underscoring its potential for optimizing crop performance in controlled environments and future extraterrestrial agriculture. Full article