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The plant U-box (PUB) proteins, a family of ubiquitin ligases (E3) enzymes, are pivotal in orchestrating many biological processes and facilitating plant responses to environmental stressors. Despite their critical roles, exploring the PUB gene family's characteristics and functional diversity in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) has been notably limited. There were 81 IbPUB genes identified within the sweet potato genome, and they were categorized into eight distinct groups based on domain architecture, revealing a non-uniform distribution across the 15 chromosomes of I. batatas. The investigation of cis-acting elements has shed light on the potential of PUBs to participate in a wide array of biological processes, particularly emphasizing their role in mediating responses to abiotic stresses. Transcriptome profiles revealed that IbPUB genes displayed a wide range of expression levels among different tissues and were regulated by salt or drought stress. IbPUB52 has emerged as a gene of significant interest due to its induction by salt and drought stresses. Localization studies have confirmed the presence of IbPUB52 in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and its ubiquitination activity has been validated through rigorous in vitro and in vivo assays. Intriguingly, the heterogeneous expression of IbPUB52 in Arabidopsis resulted in decreased drought tolerance. The virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of IbPUB52 in sweet potatoes led to enhanced resistance to drought. This evidence suggests that IbPUB52 negatively regulates the drought tolerance of plants. The findings of this study are instrumental in advancing our comprehension of the functional dynamics of PUB E3 ubiquitin ligases in sweet potatoes., (© 2024 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Salinity and low temperature are the main limiting factors for sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) growth and agricultural productivity. Various studies have shown that plant NHX-type antiporter plays a crucial role in regulating plant tolerance to salt stress by intracellular Na(+) compartmentalization. The Arabidopsis thaliana AtNHX1 gene that encodes a vacuolar Na(+) /H(+) antiporter was introduced into the sweet potato cultivar Xushu-22 by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to confer abiotic stress tolerance. Stable insertion of AtNHX1 into the sweet potato genome and its expression was confirmed by Southern blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A remarkably higher Na(+) /H(+) exchange activity of tonoplast membrane from transgenic sweet potato lines (NOE) in comparison with wild-type (WT) plants confirmed the vacuolar antiporter function in mediating Na(+) /H(+) exchange. Under salt stress, NOE plants accumulated higher Na(+) and K(+) levels in their tissues compared with WT plants, maintaining high K(+) /Na(+) ratios. Consequently, NOE plants showed enhanced protection against cell damage due to the increased proline accumulation, preserved cell membrane integrity, enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging (e.g. increased superoxide dismutase activity), and reduced H2 O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) production. Moreover, the transgenic plants showed improved cold tolerance through multiple mechanisms of action, revealing the first molecular evidence for NHX1 function in cold response. The transgenic plants showed better biomass production and root yield under stressful conditions. These findings demonstrate that overexpressing AtNHX1 in sweet potato renders the crop tolerant to both salt and cold stresses, providing a greater capacity for the use of AtNHX1 in improving crop performance under combined abiotic stress conditions., (© 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Besides the paucity of information on the effects of drought stress on photosynthesis and yield in sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.], available reports are also contradictory. The aim of this study was to shed light on the effects of long-term restricted water supply on shoot development, photosynthesis and storage root yield in field-grown sweet potato. Experiments were conducted under a rainout shelter where effects of restricted water supply were assessed in two varieties (Resisto and A15). Large decreases in stomatal conductance occurred in both varieties after 5 weeks of treatment. However, continued measurements revealed a large varietal difference in persistence of this response and effects on CO(2) assimilation. Although restricted water supply decreased leaf relative water content similarly in both varieties, the negative effects on stomatal conductance disappeared with time in A15 (indicating high drought acclimation capacity) but not in Resisto, thus leading to inhibition of CO(2) assimilation in Resisto. Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements, and the relationship between stomatal conductance, intercellular CO(2) concentration and CO(2) assimilation rate, indicated that drought stress inhibited photosynthesis primarily through stomatal closure. Although yield loss was considerably larger in Resisto, it was also reduced by up to 60% in A15, even though photosynthesis, expressed on a leaf area basis, was not inhibited in this variety. In A15 yield loss appears to be closely associated with decreased aboveground biomass accumulation, whereas in Resisto, combined effects on biomass accumulation and photosynthesis per unit leaf area are indicated, suggesting that research aimed at improving drought tolerance in sweet potato should consider both these factors.