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Tomato plants favor warmth, making them particularly susceptible to cold conditions, especially their reproductive development. Therefore, understanding how pollen reacts to cold stress is vital for selecting and improving cold-resistant tomato varieties. The programmed cell death (PCD) in the tapetum is particularly susceptible to cold temperatures which could hinder the degradation of the tapetal layer in the anthers, thus affecting pollen development. However, it is not clear yet how genes integral to tapetal degradation respond to cold stress. Here, we report that SlHB8, working upstream of the conserved genetic module DYT1-TDF1-AMS-MYB80, is crucial for regulating cold tolerance in tomato anthers. SlHB8 expression increases in the tapetum when exposed to low temperatures. CRISPR/Cas9-generated SlHB8-knockout mutants exhibit improved pollen cold tolerance due to the reduced temperature sensitivity of the tapetum. SlHB8 directly upregulates SlDYT1 and SlMYB80 by binding to their promoters. In normal anthers, cold treatment boosts SlHB8 levels, which then elevates the expression of genes like SlDYT1, SlTDF1, SlAMS, and SlMYB80; however, slhb8 mutants do not show this gene activation during cold stress, leading to a complete blockage of delayed tapetal programmed cell death (PCD). Furthermore, we found that SlHB8 can interact with both SlTDF1 and SlMYB80, suggesting the possibility that SlHB8 might regulate tapetal PCD at the protein level. This study sheds light on molecular mechanisms of anther adaptation to temperature fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycoside hydrolases (GHs), enzymes that break down glycosidic bonds in carbohydrates and between carbohydrates and non-carbohydrates, are prevalent in plants, animals, microorganisms, and other organisms. The tomato is a significant crop that contains the GH17 gene family. However, its role in tomatoes has yet to be fully investigated. In this study, we identified 43 GH17 genes from the tomato genome, distributed unevenly across 12 chromosomes. We further analyzed their gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, promoter elements, and expression patterns. The promoter element analysis indicated their potential roles in response to biotic and abiotic stresses as well as phytohormone effects on growth and development. The expression studies across different tomato tissues revealed that 10 genes were specifically expressed in floral organs, with SlA6 prominently expressed early during bud formation. By using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, SlA6 knockout plants were generated. Phenotypic characterization showed that pollen viability, pollen tube germination, fruit weight, and seed number were significantly reduced in the Sla6 mutant, but the soluble solids content (TSS) was significantly higher in the Sla6 mutant, suggesting that SlA6 affects pollen development and fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated the non-consumptive effects of Harmonia axyridis on the reproduction and physiological status of Spodoptera frugiperda. We observed that, even in the absence of predation, the mere presence of H. axyridis led to a reduction in the number of eggs laid by S. frugiperda adults. This reduction was attributed to the induction of stress responses in S. frugiperda, characterized by inflammatory reactions and increased levels of antioxidant enzymes. Alterations in energy allocation occurred, resulting in decreased allocation towards hormone production and vitellogenin synthesis, ultimately leading to diminished fecundity. Our findings underscore the intricate mechanisms through which predators can impact pest populations within agricultural ecosystems. An increasing body of research has underscored the significant impact of non-consumptive effects on the dynamics of prey pests, encompassing growth, development, reproduction, and metabolism across various vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, rivaling the influence of consumption effects. In our investigation, we delved into the non-consumptive effects exerted by the natural predatory enemy Harmonia axyridis on the reproductive capacity and metabolism of Spodoptera frugiperda adults. Our findings revealed a substantial decrease in the reproductive ability of S. frugiperda adults when exposed to the non-consumptive effects of H. axyridis. Concurrently, we observed an elevation in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutases (SODs), catalases (CATs), and peroxidases (PODs). Furthermore, notable alterations were detected in energy metabolism, characterized by heightened triglyceride levels and diminished glycogen and trehalose concentrations. These outcomes underscored the adaptive response of the pest aimed at mitigating non-consumptive adverse effects by augmenting antioxidant enzyme activity to counteract oxidative stress and minimize cellular damage. Nonetheless, this defensive mechanism entails a significant expenditure of energy resources, resulting in shifts in energy utilization. Elevated triglyceride levels and reduced glycogen and trehalose concentrations diminish available resources for reproductive processes, such as egg laying, ultimately culminating in decreased fecundity. This study contributes novel insights into the non-consumptive effects observed in insects, while also furnishing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying insect stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pueraria thomsonii Benth. is a perennial leguminous vine with medicinal and nutritional value. However, rapid postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) reduces its quality and market value. To detect gene expression levels, the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) technique requires stable internal reference genes (IRGs). Our findings indicated that an ethephon (C2H6ClO3P) treatment delayed PPD in P. thomsonii tuberous roots and an RNA-seq analysis revealed a significant number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). To find stable IRGs for the further identification of the genes associated with delayed PPD in P. thomsonii, eight candidate IRGs of the tuberous roots were screened and assessed using qRT-PCR. The expression stability of these genes was determined and ranked using five different algorithms, including NormFinder, BestKeeper, ΔCt, GeNorm, and ReFinder. Consequently, we identified two genes, PtUBC10 and PtACT7, as the best candidate IRGs for qRT-PCR normalization in P. thomsonii, both exposed to ethephon treatment and in different tissues. Moreover, PtUBC10 was found to be the most stably expressed IRG of P. thomsonii during the ethephon treatment. The findings of this investigation furnish significant insights for future gene expression analyses concerning the delay of PPD via ethephon administration, which could also be used in other tuberous plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pectin is one of the constituents of the cell wall, distributed in the primary cell wall and middle lamella, affecting the rheological properties and the cell wall stickiness. Pectin methylesterase (PME) and pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI) are the most important factors for modifying methyl esterification. In this study, 45 PMEI genes from rice (Oryza sativa L.) were screened by bioinformatics tools, and their structure, motifs, cis-acting elements in the promoter region, chromosomal distribution, gene duplication, and phylogenetic relationship were analyzed. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to edit the OsPMEI12 (LOC_Os03G01020) and two mutant pmei12 lines were obtained to explore the functions of OsPMEI in plant growth and development, and under cadmium (Cd) stress. Compared to wild type (WT) Nipponbare, the second inverted internodes of the mutant plants shortened significantly, resulting in the reduction in plant height at mature stage. The seed setting rate, and fresh and dry weights of the mutants were also decreased in mutant plants. In addition, the pectin methylation of pmei12 lines is decreased as expected, and the pectin content of the cell wall increased at both seedling and maturity stages; however, the cellulose and hemicellulose increased only at seedling stage. Interestingly, the growth of the pmei12 lines was better than the WT in both normal conditions and under two phytohormone (GA3 and NAA) treatments at seedling stage. Under Cd stress, the fresh and dry weights were increased in pmei12 lines. These results indicated that OsPMEI12 was involved in the regulation of methyl esterification during growth, affected cell wall composition and agronomic traits, and might play an important role in responses to phytohormones and stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lodging is one of the major constraints in attaining high yield in crop production. Major factors associated with stalk lodging involve morphological traits and anatomical features along with the chemical composition of the stem. However, little relevant research has been carried out in sorghum, particularly on the anatomical aspects. In this study, with a high-throughput procedure newly developed by our research group, the nine parameters related to stem regions and vascular bundles were generated in 58 sorghum germplasm accessions grown in two successive seasons. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were conducted to investigate the relationship between anatomical aspects and stalk mechanical traits (breaking force, stalk strength and lodging index). It was found that most vascular parameters were positively associated with breaking force and lodging index with the correlation coefficient r varying from −0.46 to 0.64, whereas stalk strength was only associated with rind area with the r = 0.38. The germplasm resources can be divided into two contrasting categories (classes I with 23 accessions and II with 30 accessions). Compared to class II, the class I was characterized by a larger number (+40.7%) and bigger vascular bundle (+30%), thicker stem (+19.6%) and thicker rind (+36.0%) but shorter internode (plant) (−91.0%). This study provides the methodology and information for the studies of the stem anatomical parameters in crops and facilitates the selective breeding of sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correction notice addresses missing citations in the original publication of an article titled "The Genome-Wide Identification of Stable Internal Reference Genes Related to Delayed Spoilage for Accurate qRT-PCR Normalization in Ethephon-Treated Pueraria thomsonii Benth." The authors apologize for the oversight and have now included the appropriate references in the relevant sections of the article. The scientific conclusions of the study remain unaffected. [Extracted from the article]

Enzymes with fructan exohydrolase (FEH) activity are present not only in fructan-synthesizing species but also in non-fructan plants. This has led to speculation about their functions in non-fructan species. Here, a cell wall invertase-related Zm-6&1-FEH2 with no "classical" invertase motif was identified in maize. Following heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris and in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, the enzyme activity of recombinant Zm-6&1-FEH2 displays substrate specificity with respect to inulin and levan. Subcellular localization showed Zm-6&1-FEH2 exclusively localized in the apoplast, and its expression profile was strongly dependent on plant development and in response to drought and abscisic acid. Furthermore, formation of 1-kestotriose, an oligofructan, was detected in vivo and in vitro and could be hydrolyzed by Zm-6&1-FEH2. In summary, these results support that Zm-6&1-FEH2 enzyme from maize can degrade both inulin-type and levan-type fructans, and the implications of the co-existence of Zm-6&1-FEH2 and 1-kestotriose are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-cropping is an eco-friendly strategy to improve the phytoremediation capacity of plants growing in soils contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd). This study was conducted to investigate the effects of co-cropping Indian mustard (Brassicajuncea) and silage maize (Zeamays) and applying peat on the phytoremediation of a Cd-contaminated acid paddy soil via characterizing plant growth and Cd uptake in pot experiments. There were six planting patterns (Control: no plants; MI-2 and MI-4: mono-cropping of Indian mustard at low and high densities, respectively; MS: mono-cropping of silage maize; CIS-2 and CIS-4: co-cropping of Indian mustard at low and high densities with silage maize, respectively) and two application rates of peat (NP: 0; WP: 30 g kg−1). When Indian mustard and silage maize were co-cropped, the shoot biomass of Indian mustard plants per pot was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that obtained in the mono-cropping systems, with a substantial reduction (55–72%) in the same plant density group. The shoot biomass of silage maize plants in the mono-cropping systems did not differ significantly from that in the co-cropping systems regardless of the density of Indian mustard. The growth-promoting effect of the peat application was more pronounced in Indian mustard than silage maize. Under the low density of Indian mustard, the co-cropping systems significantly (p < 0.05) decreased Cd uptake by silage maize. Additionally, soil amendment with peat significantly (p < 0.05) increased shoot Cd removal rate and Cd translocation factor value in the co-cropping systems. Taken together, the results demonstrated that silage maize should be co-cropped with Indian mustard at an appropriate density in Cd-polluted soils to achieve simultaneous remediation of Cd-contaminated soils (via Indian mustard) and production of crops (here, silage maize). Peat application was shown to promote the removal of Cd from soil and translocation of Cd into shoots and could contribute to enhanced phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated acid paddy soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]