Beneficial effects of silicon on abiotic stress tolerance in legumes

Soil salinity, drought, metal toxicity, and ultraviolet-B radiation were major abiotic stresses that limit plant growth and productivity by disrupting the plants' cellular ionic and osmotic balance; legumes, a diverse plant family, suffered from these abiotic stresses. Although silicon (Si) is generally considered non-essential for plant growth and development, Si uptake by plants could facilitate plant growth by reducing biotic and abiotic stresses. There is however, a lack of systematic study on Si uptake benefits and mechanism on legumes because legumes reject Si uptake. Here, we reviewed the beneficial role of Si in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in legumes and highlighted the mechanisms through which Si could improve abiotic stress tolerance in legumes. Future research needs for Si mediated alleviation of abiotic stresses in legumes are also discussed.     

Selenium in agriculture: a nutrient or contaminant for crops?

Selenium (Se) is an essential nutrient for animals, humans, and microorganisms, but its role in the plants needs further exploration. It is considered beneficial at low levels, but is toxic at higher levels, and there is a fine boundary between these concentrations. Generally, Se levels less than 1 mg kg^?1 have been found to be beneficial for the plants while higher levels cause toxicity in most of the agricultural crops. At low concentrations, Se can act as a plant growth regulator, antioxidant, anti-senescent, abiotic stress modulator, and defensive molecule against pathogens in plants. At higher concentrations, plants show various toxic symptoms, which include stunting of growth, chlorosis, withering, and drying of leaves, decreased protein synthesis premature and even death of the plant. The roles of selenium as enhancer and inhibitor of plant growth in various agricultural crops are discussed here with recent updates. Biofortification of some crops with Se using agronomic and genetic approaches is being explored to cultivate them in the regions having Se-deficiency in foods. Strategies of phytoremediation of Se in hyperaccumulators and transgenic plants overexpressing enzyme/proteins to increase Se tolerance are also described.     

WRKY转录因子表达谱的研究进展

环境胁迫对植物的生长发育造成重大影响,因此,提高植物的抗逆性是农业面临的重要问题。自然界中存在多种抗逆基因,如抗盐基因、抗旱基因、抗寒基因等。利用植物基因工程和分子生物学技术提高植物对逆境的适应性及其抗逆分子机制的研究已成为当今热点。WRKY转录因子是一类参与多种胁迫反应的诱导型转录因子,本文综述了WRKY转录因子家族的结构特点、WRKY转录因子在非生物胁迫（高温、低温、干旱、盐）、外源物质（激素及O3）处理及生物胁迫下的表达模式。各种胁迫下的表达谱均呈现不同特点,这些差异表达可能与它们所行使的不同生物学功能有关。     

一氧化氮在植物发育及植物–微生物互作中的作用机制研究进展

一氧化氮 (NO) 作为高活性信号分子,是调控植物生长发育的关键因子。NO可提高植物对非生物胁迫及生物胁迫的抗性,增强植物的免疫能力。最新的研究表明,NO在植物根系与微生物的互作过程中发挥着重要作用,NO能够促进植物根系与根瘤菌及丛枝菌根真菌形成共生体,从而提高植物对土壤氮磷养分的获取。NO作为信号物质调控植物对生物胁迫和非生物胁迫抗性的主要机制有:1) NO与活性氧系统互作,调节活性氧的水平,缓解氧化应激反应对植物的伤害;2) NO通过蛋白质的翻译后修饰,对植物免疫及抗逆过程进行调节;3) NO与多种植物激素互作,参与激素对植物生长发育的调节过程。而且NO可促进共生体的形成及发育相关基因表达,抑制免疫基因表达,通过NO与植物球蛋白 (phytoglobin) 的循环维持共生体的氧化还原水平及能量状态,从而促进植物–微生物共生关系。以往关于NO的研究主要集中在前3个方面,有关NO在植物–微生物互作中的作用机制的研究较少,NO参与植物–微生物互作机制的研究亟待加强。揭示NO增强植物抗逆性及其调节根系发育的机制,深入探究NO调控植物–微生物互作的机理,对于提高集约化作物生产体系中养分利用效率和作物生产力具有重要的理论与实践意义。     

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria: strategies to improve abiotic stresses under sustainable agriculture

The abiotic stresses like drought, heavy metal and salts directly or indirectly influence the global environmental pollution and decrease the agricultural productivity. The stress tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) play an important role against the abiotic stresses in terms of enhancing the efficacy of soil, plant growth promotion (PGP). Stress tolerance PGPRs have certain specific PGP properties such as hormones synthesis, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, Abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis, enzymes production, nitrogen fixation, phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) solubilization, as results which protect various crops during such stress conditions and consequently enhance crop sustainability. Efficient PGPRs isolated from various stress conditions have certainly, more useful against that particular stress. This article highlighted the isolation of various stresses tolerant PGPRs from varieties of crops under different stress conditions and their effect on varieties of crops to enhance their plant growth promotion.     

Stress combination: When two negatives may become antagonistic,synergistic or additive for plants?

Plants in their natural environment are constantly subjected to various abiotic and biotic stressors and, therefore, have developed several defense mechanisms to maintain fitness. Stress responses are intricate and require various physiological, biochemical, and cellular changes in plants. The reaction mechanisms in plants subjected to drought, salinity, or heat stress alone have been explained in numerous studies. However, the field conditions are significantly different from the controlled lab...     

CORRELATION BETWEEN TISSUE AND SUBSTRATE SILICON CONCENTRATION OF GREENHOUSE PRODUCED ORNAMENTAL SUNFLOWERS

The beneficial effects of the “nonessential” plant nutrient, silicon (Si), are well documented for several agricultural crops. Soilless growth media used in greenhouse production provides only limited amounts of available Si to container grown plants compared to plants grown in mineral-derived soils. Si supplementation is documented to increase resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in greenhouse crops, which accumulate Si in their tissues. However, optimum Si fertilization rates and acceptable Si levels in tissues and substrate have not been established for floriculture greenhouse production. For this study ornamental sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. ‘Ring of Fire’) was used to investigate the relationship between substrate Si and accumulation of Si in the tissues of plants grown in a peat-based media. Weekly substrate drenches of potassium silicate (KSiO₃), substrate incorporation of KSiO₃ hydrous powder, or rice husk ash were used as Si supplements. Overall, leaf, stem, and flower Si concentrations of Si-supplemented plants increased compared to nonsupplemented controls. A positive correlation was observed between substrate Si concentration and leaf Si concentration for all three Si sources used in this study. Therefore, leaf tissue is the most appropriate tissue to sample in order to determine the availability of Si in a substrate and could be used to establish acceptable Si levels for soilless greenhouse floriculture.     

非生物胁迫下植物水通道蛋白的应答与调控

【目的】水分不仅是细胞中各类生命物质合成的必需底物,而且也参与植物体内的养分代谢和渗透平衡的调节。植物中水分的跨膜转运主要是由水通道蛋白(AQPs)所介导的,因此,无论是在植物整体水平还是细胞水平上,水分的吸收以及跨细胞膜系统的转运对于植物的生长发育都是至关重要的。近年来,水通道蛋白作为调节水分的吸收与转运的关键,已成为植物营养与分子生物学特别关注和研究的热点之一。本文从水通道蛋白的种类结构,底物特异性,基因表达特征和调控机制四个方面对水通道蛋白转运水分的机理和转运水分过程中对胁迫的响应机制进行了详细阐述;从水通道蛋白的水分运输和渗透调节功能及其养分运输功能两方面说明了水通道蛋白在植物生长过程中的生理作用;阐述了光照、干旱和低温与水通道蛋白功能之间的关系,明确了水通道蛋白通过表达量的增加或者降低来响应相应环境条件的变化。【主要机理】水通道蛋白通过保持一定结构及对底物运输的特异性来实现对水分的高效运输,通过调整基因的表达量和翻译后修饰等过程实现对水分的高效转运;同时,水通道蛋白可以通过水分的运输实现植物渗透平衡的调节,对部分小分子养分的吸收等功能更是实现了对植物生理和养分吸收的调节;另外,水通道蛋白不仅可以提高植物的抗旱、抗盐能力,对低温胁迫也有一定的响应,还可以与多类逆境胁迫蛋白发生相互作用,共同调节植物的水分和渗透平衡,提高植物应对逆境胁迫的能力,表明植物水通道蛋白对非生物胁迫下的应答机制有待于进一步探索,为植物水通道蛋白的应用研究提供科学的理论支持与材料支撑。     

NUTRIENT DENSITIES,CARBON: NITROGEN RATIOS,AND MIDDAY DIFFERENTIAL CANOPY TEMPERATURE IMPACT GRAIN YIELD OF STRESSED OAT

Nutrient densities, carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio, and midday differential canopy temperature (dT), were assessed in oat plants subjected to biotic stresses during two years. Large portions of variation in nutrient densities and C:N ratio of leaves at the boot stage and of kernels and groats at harvest were negatively impacted by the 2- and 3-way interactions of leaves, kernels, and groats with the biotic stress treatments and years. The C:N ratios, but not nutrient densities, were always smaller in groats than in kernels, and during the stress than the no-stress year. Temporal variation accounted for a small variance associated with nutrients in leaves; whereas, stress treatments accounted for the largest variances associated with nutrients in kernels and groats. These indirect relationships among plant architecture components, dT, nutrient densities and C:N ratios, illustrate the complex interactions of biotic and abiotic stresses and their impact on grain yield and its components in oat.     

外源硅对植物抗盐性影响的研究进展

盐胁迫是世界范围内影响作物产量和品质的主要非生物胁迫之一,如何提高作物的抗盐性已经引起全世界的关注。硅 (Si) 是地壳中含量仅次于氧的第二大丰富元素。在pH值低于9的介质中,硅通常以单硅酸[Si(OH)₄]的形式被高等植物吸收。尽管目前硅仍然未被认为是植物生长的必需元素,但是作为植物生长的“有益元素”,硅可以缓解各种生物胁迫和非生物胁迫对植物生长发育的抑制。大量的研究表明硅可参与调控植物抗盐的生理生化代谢过程,并与一些信号物质,如乙烯、水杨酸和多胺等存在互作。主要进展如下:1) 植物对硅的吸收存在主动、被动和拒绝吸收三种,硅转运蛋白在硅的吸收和转运中起到非常重要的作用,但是关于该蛋白的编码基因在更多物种中的克隆和功能研究有待于进一步开展。2) 硅可以调节盐胁迫下植物体内的离子平衡,降低植物根系对盐离子的吸收和向地上部的转运,并使盐离子更均匀的分布在根系中;改善盐胁迫下根系对钙、钾、氮等营养元素的吸收,缓解盐胁迫造成的营养失调。近期一些研究表明多胺可能参与硅对根系盐离子吸收的调控。3) 硅可以通过调节水通道蛋白的表达和渗透调节物质的积累提高根系对水分的吸收和向地上部的转运,改善植株的水分状况。4) 硅可通过调节抗氧化酶活性,降低活性氧的产生和积累,同时可以缓解盐胁迫对光合器官和光合色素造成的损伤,保证盐胁迫下植物光合作用的正常进行。5) 植物耐盐的分子机制非常复杂,涉及大量基因的表达和调控以及信号转导过程,包括蛋白质组学和转录组学在内的组学研究策略为从分子水平揭示硅缓解胁迫的机理提供了有力的技术手段。转录组和蛋白质组学的研究表明硅可以通过调控转录因子、激素等相关基因的表达及蛋白的翻译和修饰来调控植物对盐胁迫的快速响应,提高植物的抗盐能力。6) 硅吸收突变体的应用有助于我们更好的了解硅在调控植物生理生化代谢中所发挥的作用。     

Managing plant-environment-symbiont interactions to promote plant performance under low temperature stress

Low-temperature stresses, also referred to as cold temperature stresses, including chilling and freezing temperatures, are among the major abiotic stresses that severely reduce plant yield, quality, and marketability and pose a serious threat to plant production during whole plant life cycles. Plant-environment-symbiont interactions determine the symbiotic and crop performance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To achieve the optimum outcome, it is essential to consider not only plant-symbiont relationships, but also symbiont adaptation and symbiont-symbiont interactions under changing environmental conditions and different plant growth stages. Improving multi-symbiotic component systems and symbiont breeding together can be a useful strategy to improve symbiosis and, thus, crop production. In this review article, the role of interactions between multi-symbiotic components and plant-environment-symbiont relationships and the related biotechnology approaches are discussed in order to find the most effective sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices to improve crop performance and mitigate the adverse effects of low temperatures on plants.     

番茄钙依赖性蛋白激酶基因LeCPK2在热（光）胁迫中的功能鉴定

钙依赖性蛋白激酶（calcium—dependent protein kinases,CDPKsorCPKs）作为一类钙感知蛋白在植物的生长发育和胁迫应答中起着重要的作用。LeCPK2（Gen Bankaccession No．：GQ205414）是我们从番茄中分离的第3个CDPK基因,前期研究表明LeCPK2可能在植物热胁迫应答中发挥作用。为了进一步研究其在热胁迫中的功能,我们通过电子克隆的方法分离了LeCPK2的启动子序列,并通过LeCPK2过表达烟草分析其在高温胁迫中的潜在的功能。生物信息学分析显示,LeCPK2启动子中包含5个热响应元件,和前期试验结果一致。野生型植株在受到热胁迫后,对光更为敏感,强光照下植株叶片发生萎蔫,而强光本身不会对未受热胁迫的健康植株造成伤害。LeCPK2转基因植株热、光胁迫后不会出现受害表型。以上研究表明,LeCPK2在植物的热胁迫应答中发挥重要作用,能够有效保护植株免受高温胁迫的损害,是一个优秀的耐热（光）基因。本研究将为揭示番茄LeCPK2遗传功能及对其开发利用奠定基础。     

Influence of combined biotic and abiotic stress on nutritional quality parameters in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Induction of abiotic stress in tomato plants has been proposed as a mechanism for improving the nutritional quality of fruits. However, the occurrence of biotic stress can interfere with normal abiotic stress responses. In this study, the combined effect of water stress and infection with plant-parasitic nematodes on the nutritional quality of tomato was investigated. Plants were exposed to one or both stresses, and the levels of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and sugars in fruits were analyzed as well as physiological responses. Levels of carotenoids lycopene and β-carotene were lower in water-stressed tomatoes but exhibited a different response pattern under combined stress. Nematode stress was associated with increased flavonoid levels, albeit with reduced yields, while chlorogenic acid was increased by nematodes, water stress, and the combined stress. Sugar levels were higher only in tomatoes exposed to both stresses. These results emphasize the importance of studying plant stress factors in combination.     

硅增强植物重金属耐性机理研究综述

In recent years, due to excessive emission of industrial waste, wastewater irrigation, and unreasonable utilization of fertilizers, pesticides and plastic sheeting, heavy metal pollution is increasing rapidly, resulting in many environmental problems. Silicon （Si）, as the second most abundant element in the soil, can not only stimulate plant growth, but alleviate various biotic and abiotic stresses, including heavy metal stress. Here, we reviewed recent advances in the mechanisms for Si-mediated heavy metal tolerance in plants. These mechanisms included reducing active heavy metal ions in growth media, reducing heavy metal transport to the shoot, stimulating enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, chelation, compartmentation, regulation of the expression of metal transport genes, and structural changes in plants. Further research orientation is also discussed.     

Effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on the molecular responses of maize under drought and heat stresses: A review

Drought and heat are major environmental stresses that continually influence plant growth and development. Under field conditions, these stresses occur more frequently in combination than alone, which magnifies corresponding detrimental effects on the growth and productivity of agriculturally important crops. Plant responses to such abiotic stresses are quite complex and manifested in a range of developmental, molecular, and physiological modifications that lead either to stress sensitivity or tolerance/resistance. Maize (Zea mays L.) is known for its sensitivity to abiotic stresses, which often results in substantial loss in crop productivity. Bioaugmentation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and heat stresses on plants. Hence, this is considered a promising and eco-friendly strategy to ensure sustainable and long-term maize production under adverse climatic conditions. These microorganisms possess various plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics that can induce drought and heat tolerance in maize plants by directly or indirectly influencing molecular, metabolic, and physiological stress responses of plants. This review aims to assess the current knowledge regarding the ability of PGPR to induce drought and heat stress tolerance in maize plants. Furthermore, the drought and heat stress-induced expression of drought and heat stress response genes for this crop is discussed with the mechanisms through which PGPR alter maize stress response gene expression.     

Responses of phytohormones and gas exchange to mycorrhizal colonization in trifoliate orange subjected to drought stress

Phytohormones have an essential ability to adapt to abiotic stresses, including drought stress (DS), by mediating physiological and molecular processes. Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AMs) can enhance tolerance of DS, but the information regarding phytohormone changes in AM plants exposed to DS is little known. Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) seedlings colonized by an AM fungus Funneliformis mosseae were subjected to DS and well-watered for 6 weeks. Plant growth performance, gas exchange, indole-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellins (GAs), brassinosteroids (BRs), abscisic acid (ABA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and zeatin riboside (ZR) were determined. The 6-week DS treatment strongly restricted root mycorrhizal colonization. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased plant growth parameters under DS, as compared with non-mycorrhizal treatment. Mycorrhizal treatment also induced significantly higher leaf-relative water content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance but lower intercellular CO₂ concentration and leaf temperature under DS, compared with non-mycorrhizal treatment. Mycorrhizal plants under DS condition represented significantly higher leaf ABA, IAA, GAs, BRs and ZR levels than non-mycorrhizal plants. The study, hence, suggested that mycorrhizal inoculation induced the changes of gas exchange and endogenous phytohormone levels to enhance drought tolerance in trifoliate orange.     

植物褪黑素功能及其作用机制的研究进展

褪黑素是一种重要的植物生长调节剂，在植物中具有多种功效。鉴于褪黑素在植物中的多种功能作用，为了给褪黑素在农业生产中的应用提供理论依据，通过查阅并梳理相关文献，阐述了植物中褪黑素的合成及代谢途径，褪黑素对植物生长发育的调控及对植物响应逆境胁迫的影响和褪黑素诱导作用的机制。褪黑素不仅参与植物种子萌发、根系发育、开花结果等生长发育过程，还能充当胁迫缓解剂，调节植物对多种生物胁迫/非生物胁迫的响应，且用外源褪黑素处理能够有效地缓解低温、干旱、盐碱以及病虫害等对植物的损伤程度，今后的研究应将盆栽试验与田间试验结合起来，以加速褪黑素在农业中的广泛应用。     

丛枝菌根真菌AMF提高植物抗逆性的组学技术研究进展

【目的】丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)可以显著提高植物对逆境胁迫的抵抗能力,本文综述了国内外针对代表性组学技术(转录组学、蛋白质组学和代谢组学)在AMF提高植物抗逆领域(干旱、温度、盐碱、重金属)的研究进展,分析了在逆境胁迫下,植物–菌根共生体在分子层面上的应答调控机理,为深入理解AMF提高植物耐逆的分子机理提供一定的科学依据。【主要进展】植物主要通过根系与AMF建立共生关系,进而从土壤中吸收更多的水分和营养物质,提高植物对非生物胁迫的抵抗能力。菌根植物在转录、翻译以及表观遗传层面应答非生物胁迫。AMF在不同程度上上调或下调某些与非生物胁迫相关基因的转录或蛋白的翻译及降解,从而提高植物对非生物胁迫的抵抗能力,维持植物的生长发育,提高其对水分和营养物质的吸收和利用效率。通过转录组学、蛋白质组学和代谢组学分析关键基因、蛋白及代谢物的变化,为深入挖掘AMF提高植物抗逆机理提供理论依据。【研究展望】揭示丛枝菌根共生体抗逆机理的组学技术研究仍处于起步阶段,单一组学的应用限制了信息表达的完整性和深层次网络调控机理的精确性。随着测序技术和手段在速度、精度等方面的提高以及生物信息学的更新发展,AMF提高植物抗...     

逆境胁迫下的农业管理中土壤-植物-微生物相互作用研究进展

The expected rise in temperature and decreased precipitation owing to climate change and unabated anthropogenic activities add complexity and uncertainty to agro-industry.The impact of soil nutrient imbalance,mismanaged use of chemicals,high temperature,flood or drought,soil salinity,and heavy metal pollutions,with regard to food security,is increasingly being explored worldwide.This review describes the role of soil-plant-microbe interactions along with organic manure in solving stressed agriculture problems.Beneficial microbes associated with plants are known to stimulate plant growth and enhance plant resistance to biotic (diseases) and abiotic (salinity,drought,pollutions,etc.) stresses.The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizae,a key component of soil microbiota,could play vital roles in the maintenance of plant fitness and soil health under stressed environments.The application of organic manure as a soil conditioner to stressed soils along with suitable microbial strains could further enhance the plant-microbe associations and increase the crop yield.A combination of plant,stress-tolerant microbe,and organic amendment represents the tripartite association to offer a favourable environment to the proliferation of beneficial rhizosphere microbes that in turn enhance the plant growth performance in disturbed agro-ecosystem.Agriculture land use patterns with the proper exploitation of plant-microbe associations,with compatible beneficial microbial agents,could be one of the most effective strategies in the management of the concerned agriculture lands owing to climate change resilience.However,the association of such microbes with plants for stressed agriculture management still needs to be explored in greater depth.     

植物非生物逆境相关锌指蛋白基因的研究进展

植物能够适应多种逆境主要是通过改变其基因表达和代谢途径来实现的,因此研究这些基因表达和功能对提高植物耐逆性具有重要意义。锌指蛋白是一类具有手指状结构域的转录因子,这种结构域由锌离子与多个半胱氨酸和(或)组氨酸组成,锌离子在稳定其结构和发挥调控功能方面具有关键作用。植物锌指蛋白在植物耐逆性方面具有重要作用。本文综述了近几年来从拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)、水稻(Oryza sativa)、小麦(Triticum aestivum)、番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)等植物中克隆的与非生物逆境相关锌指蛋白基因的研究成果,重点阐述了其基因表达部位、受逆境诱导情况及转基因植株的耐逆性等。目前的研究结果表明锌指蛋白能够调控耐逆相关基因的表达,在植物逆境代谢中发挥重要作用,因此可以利用锌指蛋白基因进行作物耐逆性的遗传改良,提高作物的耐逆能力。