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Synucleinopathies, typified by Parkinson’s disease (PD), entail the accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates in nerve cells. Various αSyn mutants, including the αSyn A53T variant linked to early-onset PD, increase the propensity for αSyn aggregate formation. In addition to disrupting protein homeostasis and inducing proteostatic stress, the aggregation of αSyn in PD is associated with an imbalance in iron metabolism, which increases the generation of reactive oxygen species and causes oxidative stress. This study explored the impact of αSyn A53T expression in transgenic hairy roots of four medicinal plants (Lobelia cardinalis, Artemisia annua, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Polygonum multiflorum). In all tested plants, αSyn A53T expression triggered proteotoxic stress and perturbed iron homeostasis, mirroring the molecular profile observed in human and animal nerve cells. In addition to the common eukaryotic defense mechanisms against proteostatic and oxidative stresses, a plant stress response generally includes the biosynthesis of a diverse set of protective secondary metabolites. Therefore, the hairy root cultures expressing αSyn A53T offer a platform for identifying secondary metabolites that can ameliorate the effects of αSyn, thereby aiding in the development of possible PD treatments and/or treatments of synucleinopathies.

Like some bacterial species and all animals, plants synthesize dopamine and react to its exogenous applications. Despite dopamine’s widespread presence and activity in plants, its role in plant physiology is still poorly understood. Using targeted experimentation informed by the transcriptomic response to dopamine exposure, we identify three major effects of dopamine. First, we show that dopamine causes hypersensitivity to auxin indole-3-acetic acid by enhancing auxin activity. Second, we show that dopamine increases oxidative stress, which can be mitigated with glutathione. Third, we find that dopamine downregulates iron uptake mechanisms, leading to a decreased iron content—a response possibly aimed at reducing DA-induced oxidative stress. Finally, we show that dopamine-induced auxin sensitivity is downstream of glutathione biosynthesis, indicating that the auxin response is likely a consequence of DA-induced oxidative stress. Collectively, our results show that exogenous dopamine increases oxidative stress, which inhibits growth both directly and indirectly by promoting glutathione-biosynthesis-dependent auxin hypersensitivity.

Previous analyses of burley tobacco varieties KT 204LC and NCBH 129LC revealed that NCBH 129LC has a higher oxidative stress tolerance level and accumulates more hydrogen peroxide. We conducted untargeted metabolomics analyses to deepen our understanding of these varietal differences in redox status, and here, we show that KT 204LC and NCBH 129LC significantly differ in lipid metabolism, with NCBH 129LC containing more lipids than KT 204LC. Considering that NCBH 129LC also has more hydrogen peroxide and that peroxisomes play a major role in hydrogen peroxide production and lipid metabolism, we next analyzed peroxisomal markers. Glycolate oxidase, the key photorespiratory enzyme and a significant producer of hydrogen peroxide, accumulated significantly higher in NCBH 129LC. Our data suggest that differences in the oxidative stress status of burley varieties KT 204LC and NCBH 129LC are – at least partially - caused by different peroxisomal activities of the two varieties.

Biological modularity refers to the organization of living systems into separate functional units that interact in different combinations to promote individual well-being and species survival. Modularity provides a framework for generating and selecting variations that can lead to adaptive evolution. While the exact mechanisms underlying the evolution of modularity are still being explored, it is believed that the pressure of conflicting demands on limited resources is a primary selection force. One prominent example of conflicting demands is the trade-off between survival and reproduction. In this review, we explore the available evidence regarding the modularity of plant hormones within the context of the survival-reproduction trade-off. Our findings reveal that the cytokinin module is dedicated to maximizing reproduction, while the remaining hormone modules function to ensure reproduction. The signaling mechanisms of these hormone modules reflect their roles in this survival-reproduction trade-off. While the cytokinin response pathway exhibits a sequence of activation events that aligns with the developmental robustness expected from a hormone focused on reproduction, the remaining hormone modules employ double-negative signaling mechanisms, which reflects the necessity to prevent the excessive allocation of resources to survival.

Abstract Objective Nanoharvesting from intact plants, organs, and cultured cells is a method in which nanoparticles are co-incubated with the target tissue, which leads to the internalization of nanoparticles. Internalized nanoparticles are coated in situ with specific metabolites that form a dynamic surface layer called a bio-corona. Our previous study showed that metabolites that form the bio-corona around anatase TiO2 nanoparticles incubated with leaves of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana are enriched for flavonoids and lipids. The present study focused on the identification of metabolites isolated by nanoharvesting from two medicinal plants, Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi) and Rubia tinctorum (common madder). Results To identify metabolites that form the bio-corona, Tulsi leaves and madder roots were incubated with ultra-small anatase TiO2 nanoparticles, the coated nanoparticles were collected, and the adsorbed molecules were released from the nanoparticle surface and analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics approach. Similar to the results in which Arabidopsis tissue was used as a source of metabolites, TiO2 nanoparticle bio-coronas from Tulsi and madder were enriched for flavonoids and lipids, suggesting that nanoharvesting has a wide-range application potential. The third group of metabolites enriched in bio-coronas isolated from both plants were small peptides with C-terminal arginine and lysine residues.

Fusarium wilt in tobacco caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. nicotianae is a disease‑management challenge worldwide, as there are few effective and environmentally benign chemical agents for its control. This challenge results in substantial losses in both the quality and yield of tobacco products. Based on an in vitro analysis of the effects of different phenylpropanoid intermediates, we found that the early intermediates trans‑cinnamic acid and para‑coumaric acid effectively inhibit the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. nicotianae strain FW316F, whereas the downstream intermediates quercetin and caffeic acid exhibit no fungicidal properties. Therefore, our in vitro screen suggests that trans‑cinnamic acid and para‑coumaric acid are promising chemical agents and natural lead compounds for the suppression of F. oxysporum f. sp. nicotianae growth.

Land plants survive the challenges of new environments by evolving mechanisms that protect them from excess irradiation, nutrient deficiency, and temperature and water availability fluctuations. One such evolved mechanism is the regulation of the shoot/root growth ratio in response to water and nutrient availability by balancing the actions of the hormones auxin and cytokinin. Plant terrestrialization co-occurred with a dramatic expansion in secondary metabolism, particularly with the evolution and establishment of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. Flavonoid biosynthesis is responsive to a wide range of stresses, and the numerous synthesized flavonoid species offer two main evolutionary advantages to land plants. First, flavonoids are antioxidants and thus defend plants against those adverse conditions that lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Second, flavonoids aid in protecting plants against water and nutrient deficiency by modulating root development and establishing symbiotic relations with beneficial soil fungi and bacteria. Here, we review different aspects of the relationships between the auxin/cytokinin module and flavonoids. The current body of knowledge suggests that whereas both auxin and cytokinin regulate flavonoid biosynthesis, flavonoids act to fine-tune only auxin, which in turn regulates cytokinin action. This conclusion agrees with the established master regulatory function of auxin in controlling the shoot/root growth ratio.

Abstract Background The surface of a nanoparticle adsorbs molecules from its surroundings with a specific affinity determined by the chemical and physical properties of the nanomaterial. When a nanoparticle is exposed to a biological system, the adsorbed molecules form a dynamic and specific surface layer called a bio-corona. The present study aimed to identify the metabolites that form the bio-corona around anatase TiO2 nanoparticles incubated with leaves of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Results We used an untargeted metabolomics approach and compared the metabolites isolated from wild-type plants with plants deficient in a class of polyphenolic compounds called flavonoids. Conclusions These analyses showed that TiO2 nanoparticle coronas are enriched for flavonoids and lipids and that these metabolite classes compete with each other for binding the nanoparticle surface.

Abstract Objective Many abiotic stresses cause the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species known as oxidative stress. While analyzing the effects of oxidative stress on tobacco, we noticed the increased accumulation of a specific protein in extracts from plants treated with the oxidative-stress inducing herbicide paraquat which promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species primarily in chloroplasts. The primary objectives of this study were to identify this protein and to determine if its accumulation is indeed a result of oxidative stress. Results Here we show that the paraquat-induced protein is a covalently linked dimer of the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (LSU). Increased accumulation of this LSU dimer was also observed in tobacco plants exposed to ultra-small anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2), which because of their surface reactivity cause oxidative stress by promoting the generation of superoxide anion. nTiO2 nanoparticle treatments also caused a decline in the chloroplast thylakoid proteins cytochrome f and chlorophyll a/b binding protein, thus confirming that covalent LSU dimer formation coincides with loss of chloroplast function.

The phenylpropanoid pathway, the source of a large array of compounds with diverse functions, starts with the synthesis of trans-cinnamic acid (t-CA) that is converted by cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) into p-coumaric acid. We have recently shown that in Arabidopsis, exogenous t-CA promotes leaf growth by increasing cell expansion and that this response requires auxin signaling. We have also shown that cell expansion is increased in C4H loss-of-function mutants. Here we provide further evidence that leaf growth is enhanced by either t-CA or a t-CA derivative that accumulates upstream of C4H. We also show that this growth response pathway has two components: one that requires auxin signaling and another which employs a currently unknown mechanism.

Abstract Background The phenylpropanoid pathway is responsible for the synthesis of numerous compounds important for plant growth and responses to the environment. In the first committed step of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) deaminates L-phenylalanine into trans-cinnamic acid that is then converted into p-coumaric acid by cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H). Recent studies showed that the Kelch repeat F-box (KFB) protein family of ubiquitin ligases control phenylpropanoid biosynthesis by promoting the proteolysis of PAL. However, this ubiquitin ligase family, alternatively named Kiss Me Deadly (KMD), was also implicated in cytokinin signaling as it was shown to promote the degradation of type-B ARRs, including the key response activator ARR1. Considering that ubiquitin ligases typically have narrow target specificity, this dual targeting of structurally and functionally unrelated proteins appeared unusual. Results Here we show that the KFBs indeed target PAL but not ARR1. Moreover, we show that changes in early phenylpropanoid biosynthesis alter cytokinin sensitivity – as reported earlier - but that the previously documented cytokinin growth response changes are primarily the result of altered auxin signaling. We found that reduced PAL accumulation decreased, whereas the loss of C4H function increased the strength of the auxin response. The combined loss of function of both enzymes led to a decrease in auxin sensitivity, indicating that metabolic events upstream of C4H control auxin sensitivity. This auxin/phenylpropanoid interaction impacts both shoot and root development and revealed an auxin-dependent stimulatory effect of trans-cinnamic acid feeding on leaf expansion and thus biomass accumulation. Conclusions Collectively, our results show that auxin-regulated plant growth is fine-tuned by early steps in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and suggest that metabolites accumulating upstream of the C4H step impact the auxin response mechanism.

Background: Flavonoids are a complex group of plant-made phenolic compounds that are considered of high nutraceutical value. Their beneficial impacts on human health relate predominantly to their capacity to serve as antioxidants, thus protecting cells against the damaging impact of reactive oxygen species. Recent studies have also pointed at an essential role for flavonoids as antioxidants in plants. Results: Here we show that the flavonoid quercetin, which is known to protect human cells from oxidative stress, has the same effect on plant cells. Under oxidative stress conditions, Arabidopsis plants grown on quercetin-supplemented media grew better than controls and contained less oxidized proteins. This protection was also observed in the dicot Nicotiana tabacum and the aquatic monocot Lemna gibba. Conclusion: Quercetin can be used as a general antioxidant stress protectant for plants.