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Stress experienced during development in organisms with bilateral structures could result in developmental instability, which is expressed as subtle non‐directional deviations from perfect symmetry, known as fluctuating asymmetry (FA). As such, FA has been proposed, and extensively used, as a trait indicating stress for many organisms with bilateral structures and many types of stress. However, while this concept may apply to animals, the evidence for plants' main vegetative structures, that is, leaves, remains equivocal, and a comprehensive synthesis on this topic is still missing.We designed observational field and controlled greenhouse studies, combining different growth and leaf forms across multiple stress gradients, comprising 21 species and 80 populations. We measured FA as the difference between the left and right area of the leaf, an approach that accommodates diverse leaf forms. We used high‐precision, blind, single‐person measurements and tested for other forms of symmetry and the effect of leaf size. We further complemented our study with a systematic literature review of FA in plant leaves, compiling 51 studies comprising 72 species, 23 stress types and 131 unique entries (species × stress type).We consistently found no effect of stress on leaf FA in any of the studied species in both our field and experimental gradients. In the systematic literature review, only 39% of the unique entries showed the expected increase in FA with stress, 53% showed no effect, 9% showed an opposite trend of a decrease in FA with stress and 1% showed a unimodal relationship. Importantly, only 40% of all entries fulfilled the crucial step of controlling for a high‐precision measurement, and of these 49% reported the expected increase in FA with stress.Both the results of our observational and experimental approaches and the systematic literature review failed to support a clear relationship between stress and FA in plant leaves. These results clearly show that FA in plant leaves cannot be used as a reliable trait indicating stress during development. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to balance the allocation of resources between growth and reproduction as a response to stress factors, can be an advantage for plants in disturbed environments. Invasive alien plants (IAPs) often show high levels of phenotypic variability in resource allocation, a key trait that plays a crucial role in their success to invade new areas. Control management for IAPs must consider this capacity in the development of effective strategies. In this study, we performed continuous measures of leaf growth and reproductive traits of Cortaderia selloana, an IAP of global concern, and applied generalised linear models (GLMs) to evaluate trade‐offs between vegetative growth, leaf composition and reproductive success at different cutting moments. Cutting moment, but not flowering, affected the length of the vegetative growth period (VGP) and average growth rate (AGR), and the interaction with flowering affected AGR and final leaf length (vegetative growth total, VGT). Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (N) content and the isotopic value of δ13C were affected by cutting, and N was also affected by flowering and the interaction with cutting time. Silica also showed a negative correlation with leaf carbon (C) depicting a trade‐off between both structural components. Cortaderia selloana successfully adapted its leaf growth and composition to cutting moment, but this was also modulated by flowering. Moreover, the species is dioecious, and its response may differ between female and hermaphroditic plants. This suggests flexible trade‐offs in resource allocation, therefore the time for cutting must be precisely scheduled to suppress flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft matter mechanics generally involve finite deformations and instabilities of structures in response to a wide range of mechanical and non-mechanical stimuli. Modeling plates and shells is generally a challenge due to their geometrically nonlinear response to loads; however, non-mechanical loads further complicate matters as it is often not clear how they modify the shell's energy functional. In this work, we demonstrate how to form a mechanical interpretation of these non-mechanical stimuli, in which the standard shell strain energy can be augmented with potentials corresponding to how a non-mechanical stimulus acts to change the shell's area and curvature via the natural stretch and curvature. As a result, the effect of non-mechanical stimuli to deform shells is transformed into effective external loadings, and this framework allows for the application of analytical and computational tools that are standard within the mechanics community. Furthermore, we generalize the effect of mass change during biological growth to account for its effect on the stress constitution. The theory is formulated based on a standard, stress-free reference configuration which is known a priori, meaning it can be physically observed, and only requires the solution of a single-field equation, the standard mechanical momentum or equilibrium equation, despite capturing the effects of non-mechanical stimuli. We validate the performance of this model by several benchmark problems, and finally, we apply it to complex examples, including the snapping of the Venus flytrap, leaf growth, and the buckling of electrically active polymer plates. Overall, we expect that mechanicians and non-mechanicians alike can use the approach presented here to quickly modify existing computational tools with effective external loadings calculated in this novel theory to study how various types of non-mechanical stimuli impact the mechanics and physics of thin shell structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of betel (Piper betle) and amla (Phyllanthus emblica) leaf extracts as feed supplement was studied on the growth and immune functions of the shrimp Penaeus monodon when exposed to a virulent strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Six experimental groups (PB-1, PB-2, PB-3 and PE-1, PE-2, PE-3) of shrimp were fed extract at varying concentrations, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2%, before being compared to a control group that did not receive any extract. After a feeding trial of 4 weeks, each group of shrimp was challenged with V. parahaemolyticus at a concentration of 106 CFU/mL and monitored for 2 weeks. The lowest concentration of P. betle extract and the moderate concentration of P. emblica extract in the diet induced a significant increase in shrimp growth performance parameters (final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate) and feed utilization efficiency (low feed conversion ratio, high protein efficiency ratio). The dietary extracts also exhibited a significant positive influence on the immunological parameters such as total haemocyte count, prophenoloxidase activity, and superoxide dismutase activity before and after the challenge with V. parahaemolyticus. Compared to the control group, the total Vibrio load was significantly lower in the shrimp groups fed with extracts with the highest Vibrio density found in the hepatopancreas. The cumulative mortality of shrimp fed with extracts during 14 days decreased significantly, whereas control shrimps displayed 100% mortality upon V. parahaemolyticus challenge. In summary, we propose that a diet supplemented with P. betle and P. emblica leaf extract improves the growth of shrimp, and improves their immunity as is evident from their decreased susceptibility to V. parahaemolyticus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary mulberry leaves on the growth, production performance, gut microbiota, and immunological parameters of poultry and livestock. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were systematically analyzed to identify pertinent studies up to December 2022. The effects of mulberry leaf diet was assessed using the weighted mean difference, and the 95% confidence interval was calculated using a random-effects model. Results: In total, 18 studies that sampled 2,335 poultry and livestock were selected for analysis. Mulberry leaves improved the average daily gain and reduced the feed/meat ratio in finishing pigs, and the average daily gain and average daily feed intake in chicken. In production performance, mulberry leaves lowered the half carcass weight, slaughter rate, and loin eye area in pigs, and the slaughter rate in chickens. Regarding meat quality in pigs, mulberry leaves reduced the cooked meat percentage, shear force, crude protein, and crude ash, and increased the 24 h pH and water content. In chickens, it increased the drip loss, shear force, 45 min and 24 h pH, crude protein, and crude ash. Mulberry leaves also affect the abundances of gut microbiota, including Bacteroides, Prevotella, Megamonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Butyricicoccus, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli in poultry and livestock. Mulberry leaves at different doses were associated with changes in antioxidant capacity in chickens, and immune organ indexes in pigs. With respect to egg quality, mulberry leaves at different doses improved the shell strength, yolk color, eggshell thickness, and eggshell weight. However, moderate doses diminished the egg yolk ratio and the egg yolk moisture content. Conclusion: In general, dietary mulberry leaves improved the growth, production performance, and immunological parameters in poultry and livestock, although the effects varied at different doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar activity has a significant influence on Earth's climate and may drive many biological processes. Here, we measured growth in 11 tree species distributed along an ≈600‐km latitudinal gradient in South‐Central Chile, recording the width of their growth‐rings among periods of maximum (highest number of sunspots) and minimum (lowest number of sunspots) solar activity. In one of these species, Quillaja saponaria, we experimentally assessed three ecophysiological traits (CO2 fixation through photosynthesis [Amax], growth and leaf production) as well as the expression of five genes related to cell wall elongation and expansion following exposure to high and low levels of UV‐B radiation, simulating scenarios of maximum and minimum solar activity, respectively. We found lower tree growth during the periods of maximum solar activity, with this trend being more evident at lower latitudes, where UV‐B radiation is higher. Exposure of Q. saponaria to higher levels of UV‐B affected the ecophysiological parameters, revealing a decrease in Amax, growth and leaf production. In addition, higher levels of UV‐B led to repression in four of the five genes studied. Our results may help foresee environmental scenarios for different plant species associated with solar activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) is a crucial micronutrient needed in many metabolic processes. To balance needs and potential toxicity, plants control the amount of Fe they take up and allocate to leaves and seeds during their development. One important regulator of this process is POPEYE (PYE). PYE is a Fe deficiency-induced key bHLH transcription factor (TF) for allocation of internal Fe in plants. In the absence of PYE, there is altered Fe translocation and plants develop a leaf chlorosis. NICOTIANAMINE SYNTHASE4 (NAS4), FERRIC-REDUCTION OXIDASE3 (FRO3), and ZINC-INDUCED FACILITATOR1 (ZIF1) genes are expressed at higher level in pye-1 indicating that PYE represses these genes. PYE activity is controlled in a yet unknown manner. Here, we show that a small Fe deficiency-induced protein OLIVIA (OLV) can interact with PYE. OLV has a conserved C-terminal motif, that we named TGIYY. Through deletion mapping, we pinpointed that OLV TGIYY and several regions of PYE can be involved in the protein interaction. An OLV overexpressing (OX) mutant line exhibited an enhanced NAS4 gene expression. This was a mild Fe deficiency response phenotype that was related to PYE function. Leaf rosettes of olv mutants remained smaller than those of wild type, indicating that OLV promotes plant growth. Taken together, our study identified a small protein OLV as a candidate that may connect aspects of Fe homeostasis with regulation of leaf growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increased frequency and severity of droughts and heat waves have resulted in increased tree mortality and forest dieback across the world, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We used a common garden experiment with 20 conifer tree species to quantify mortality after three consecutive hot, dry summers and tested whether mortality could be explained by putative underlying mechanisms, such as stem hydraulics and legacies affected by leaf life span and stem growth responses to previous droughts. Mortality varied from 0 to 79% across species and was not affected by hydraulic traits. Mortality increased with species' leaf life span probably because leaf damage caused crown dieback and contributed to carbon depletion and bark beetle damage. Mortality also increased with lower growth resilience, which may exacerbate the contribution of carbon depletion and bark beetle sensitivity to tree mortality. Our study highlights how ecological legacies at different time scales can explain tree mortality in response to hot, dry periods and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Smoke–water (1:2500 v/v) foliar application was tested on radish, spinach and turnip seedlings. • Essential mineral elements were determined in the leaves of seedlings of these vegetables. • Smoke–water significantly stimulated the length and weight of seedlings of examined vegetables. • Potassium and zinc levels were markedly improved in leaves with smoke–water. • Smoke–water, a promising technology for growing vigorous vegetable seedlings. Smoke–water, a smoke-saturated solution derived from the smoke generated by burning plant materials, promotes seed germination and growth of various plant species. There are many reported studies where seeds are treated and soils are drenched with smoke–water to explore the beneficial effects of smoke. However, little information is available on the influence of foliar spraying of smoke–water on the seedlings of commercial vegetable crops for better growth prospects. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of standardized smoke–water (1:2500 v/v) foliar application on the seedling growth of radish (Raphanus sativus L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and turnip (Brassica rapa L.), and determined the mineral elemental composition of leaves. Smoke–water foliar treatment significantly enhanced the length and weight of seedlings compared to the seedlings sprayed with water (control). Mineral elements, potassium and zinc, were increased notably in the leaves of all smoke–water foliar-treated seedlings. This can be attributed to increased photosynthetic activity that resulted in longer and heavier seedlings. The results of the present study provide an opportunity to incorporate the use of smoke–water for raising vigorous and healthier vegetable seedlings for better yield. Moreover, it can minimize the input of conventional chemical sprays that are detrimental to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mulberry is a perennial deciduous woody plant, and its leaves are homologous food of medicine and food, which have been widely used in feed industry in recent years. After fermentation, the content of anti-nutritional factors such as cellulose and tannin in mulberry leaves is reduced, and the content of crude protein, crude fat, amino acids, and minerals is abundant, which has the effect of improving feed conversion rate and animal product quality. The paper mainly introduces the contents of conventional nutrients, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals in mulberry leaves, the commonly used strains for fermentation, and the changes of nutrients, anti-nutritional factors and bioactive substances in mulberry leaves after fermentation. The effects of fermented mulberry leaves on growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal health of pigs, ruminants, poultry and fish were summarized. The future research direction of mulberry in the field of feed industry was prospected, in order to provide a reference for the efficient utilization of mulberry in animal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is a popular herbaceous annual seed spice crop. It is mainly grown for seed as well as green leaf, the leaf and seed yield is varied with the genetic background of genotypes. Therefore, the selection of genotypes with high leaf yield is highly desired, along with the magnitude of heritability and genetic advance for wider adaptation and cultivation. In this view, the accessions were collected and their genetic variables were assessed. Methods: The experimental material included 48 coriander accessions along with two check varieties CO4 and CO5. The plant materials were obtained from the coriander germplasm repository at the Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with two replications. Result: The results of the analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the accessions. High heritability coupled with high GAM was observed for the economical trait (87% and 48.93% for leaf yield) indicating that, the traits were highly heritable in nature, hence selection breeding is most effective. The PCV and GCV were moderate to high for all traits except the number of days for harvest and moisture content among all the accessions of coriander. The leaf yield was highly significant and positively correlated with all the traits except the number of days for harvest and leaf protein. The genotypic correlation was greater than the phenotypic correlation among the genotypes. Therefore, to increase the leaf yield of coriander accessions, either simple selection or mass selection of desirable traits and their associated traits would be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: With the global atmospheric CO2 concentration on the rise, developing crops that can thrive in elevated CO2 has become paramount. We investigated the potential of hybridization as a strategy for creating crops with improved growth in predicted elevated atmospheric CO2. Methods: We grew parent accessions and their F1 hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana in ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 and analyzed numerous growth traits to assess their productivity and underlying mechanisms. Results: The heterotic increase in total dry mass, relative growth rate and leaf net assimilation rate was significantly greater in elevated CO2 than in ambient CO2. The CO2 response of net assimilation rate was positively correlated with the CO2 response of leaf nitrogen productivity and with that of leaf traits such as leaf size and thickness, suggesting that hybridization‐induced changes in leaf traits greatly affected the improved performance in elevated CO2. Conclusions: Vegetative growth of hybrids seems to be enhanced in elevated CO2 due to improved photosynthetic nitrogen‐use efficiency compared with parents. The results suggest that hybrid crops should be well‐suited for future conditions, but hybrid weeds may also be more competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding patterns of variation in functional traits of hardwood trees is crucial for conserving and managing North American temperate forests under climate change. This study examined provenance variation of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) in growth, biomass allocation, leaf morphology, and stable carbon isotope composition. Trees were grown from 10 seed sources originating from across Canada and the northern USA. Height and diameter were not significantly related to climate at seed origin, suggesting that variation may be better explained by site factors, such as soil pH and soil moisture. In contrast, carbon isotope composition and leaf morphological traits were significantly correlated to climate variables including temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation. Provenances from warmer, drier localities tended to have higher stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C), greater specific leaf area, and narrower leaf width than their counterparts from cooler, wetter climates. Thus, variation in leaf morphological traits appears to be involved in adaptation of yellow birch to variation in temperature and moisture availability across the species' range. Our results suggest that there may exist potential for selection and breeding of drought-resistant yellow birch genotypes to aid in reforestation under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the function of growth-regulating factors (GRFs) in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum and S. spontaneum) growth and development could assist breeders in selecting desirable plant architectures. However, limited information about GRFs is available in Saccharum due to their polyploidy. In this study, 22 GRFs were identified in the two species and their conserved domains, gene structures, chromosome location, and synteny were characterized. GRF7 expression varied among tissues and responded to diurnal rhythm. SsGRF7-YFPwas localized preferentially in the nucleus and appears to act as a transcriptional cofactor. SsGRF7positively regulated the size and lengthof rice leaves, possibly by regulating cell size and plant hormones. Of seven potential transcription factors binding to the SsGRF7 promoter in S. spontaneum, four showed positive expression patterns, and two showed negative expression patterns relative to SsGRF7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is one of the main abiotic stresses that affects plant growth, causing serious damage or even death to plants. The differential expression of the TaEXPA19 gene in the above and underground parts of winter wheat and the implications for cold resistance remain unclear. In this study, the TaEXPA19 gene was cloned and analysed for expression in winter wheat, and transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana was constructed to investigate the effect of the TaEXPA19 gene in response to low‐temperature stress on plant growth. The TaEXPA19‐A and TaEXPA19‐D genes have different response patterns in the above and underground parts of transgenic A. thaliana. When plants were subjected to low‐temperature stress, the leaves were quickly upregulated and the roots were downregulated, and then upregulated to respond to low‐temperature stress to promote the growth of leaf length and leaf width petiole length. The results indicated that TaEXPA19 genes could improve low‐temperature tolerance in plants. The results of this study laid a foundation for the study of the cold resistance of winter wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, hyperspectral imaging technology, combined with chemometrics methods, was used to detect the nitrogen content of soybean leaves, and to achieve the rapid, non-destructive and in situ detection of the nitrogen content in soybean leaves. Soybean leaves under different fertilization treatments were used as the research object, and the hyperspectral imaging data and the corresponding nitrogen content data of soybean leaves at different growth stages were obtained. Seven spectral preprocessing methods, such as Savitzky–Golay smoothing (SG), first derivative (1-Der), and direct orthogonal signal correction (DOSC), were used to establish the quantitative prediction models for soybean leaf nitrogen content, and the quantitative prediction models of different spectral preprocessing methods for soybean leaf nitrogen content were analyzed and compared. On this basis, successive projections algorithm (SPA), genetic algorithm (GA) and random frog (RF) were employed to select the characteristic wavelengths and compress the spectral data. The results showed the following: (1) The full-spectrum prediction model of soybean leaf nitrogen content based on DOSC pretreatment was the best. (2) The PLS model of soybean leaf nitrogen content based on the five characteristic wavelengths had the best prediction performance. (3) The spatial distribution map of soybean leaf nitrogen content was generated in a pixel manner using the extracted five characteristic wavelengths and the DOSC-RF-PLS model. The nitrogen content level of soybean leaves can be quantified in a simple way; this provides a foundation for rapid in situ non-destructive detection and the spatial distribution difference detection of soybean leaf nitrogen. (4) The overall results illustrated that hyperspectral imaging technology was a powerful tool for the spatial prediction of the nitrogen content in soybean leaves, which provided a new method for the spatial distribution of the soybean nutrient status and the dynamic monitoring of the growth status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungus, Fusarium lateritium Nees ex Fr. (FL), has shown potential as a bioherbicide for velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) control. However, to achieve optimal infection and weed mortality, bioherbicide applications must be applied to weeds that are in the cotyledonary growth stage, followed by a dew treatment of at least 16 h. Greenhouse and field experiments were established to discover possible synergistic disease interactions with a phenoxy herbicide to improve the bioherbicidal potential of this fungus, and to mitigate some of the physical and environmental restrictions that limit the utility of this fungus as a bioherbicide. In greenhouse experiments, mortalities of 94% and 94% were recorded from sequential applications of 2,4-DB [4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid] (0.02 kg ae ha−1) followed by FL (1.5 × 106 spores ml−1) at 5 min or 7 days after herbicide treatment. Velvetleaf plants in the fifth-to-seventh leaf growth stage were infected and killed with < 8 hrs. of dew. Similar results occurred under field conditions. Infection and weed control were inhibited by tank mixtures of 2,4-DB and FL, and by sequential applications of FL followed by 2,4-DB. These results suggest that timely applications of 2,4-DB followed by F. lateritium may provide effective control of velvetleaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current experiment was performed to investigate the influence of different dietary levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters, immune response, caecal microbiota, and carcass characteristics of Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) during 7 to 63 d of age. Methods: A total of 240 unsexed 7dold ducklings were distributed into five (treatment) groups; each one contained six replicates with eight ducklings each. Birds of the first group were fed basal diet without MOLM and served as control, while the other four groups were fed basal diet with 0.25%, 0.50%, 1.0%, and 2.0% MOLM inclusion level, respectively. Results: The obtained results revealed that including MOLM in the diets significantly improved body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and economic efficiency compared with the control group. Among the different MOLM inclusion treatments, increasing MOLM inclusion level decreased (p<0.05) such previous parameters. Decreasing MOLM inclusion levels in duckling diets increased (p>0.05) the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and nitrogen free extract, however all MOLM treatments were significantly higher than the control group. Results also revealed that feeding ducks lower MOLM inclusion levels (0.25% or 0.50%) improved blood parameters (p<0.05) compared with the higher inclusion levels (1.0% or 2.0% MOLM) and the control group. Ducks fed different MOLM levels had significantly higher phagocyte index and activity, immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase activity, and superoxide dismutase activity compared with control group. Conclusion: Despite the beneficial effects of all MOLM treatments on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, physiological status, and immune response of duckling, the increasing MOLM inclusion level in the diet had deleterious effects on such studied traits, consequently 0.25% was the best MOLM inclusion level in duckling diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. is a large tree that is native to southern Africa. This species has been used extensively for multiple therapeutic purposes across the southern part of the African continent. Despite this, P. latifolius leaf extracts have not been rigorously examined growth inhibitory properties against many bacteria, including the bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activity of P. latifolia leaf solvent extractions was investigated by disc diffusion and growth time course assays against some bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The growth inhibitory activity was further quantified by MIC determination. Toxicity was determined using the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay. Results: Methanolic and aqueous P. latifolia leaf extracts were good inhibitors of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae. The inhibitory activity of both extracts was particularly noteworthy against the bacterial trigger of ankylosing spondylitis (K. pneumonia), with MICs of 343 and 557 µg/mL determined for the methanolic and aqueous extracts respectively. The extracts also displayed noteworthy activity against a bacterial trigger of rheumatoid arthritis (P. mirabilis), with MICs of 580 and 634 µg/mL respectively. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic and aqueous P. latifolia leaf extracts were further investigated by growth time course assays, which showed significant growth inhibition in cultures of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae within 1 hr of exposure. The extracts were determined to be nontoxic in the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay, indicating their safety for prophylactic use in preventing these autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Conclusion: The lack of toxicity of the P. latifolia leaf extracts and their growth inhibitory bioactivity against the bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis indicate their potential in the development of new therapies targeting the onset of these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrients are critical for the development of plants and play major role in enhancing both quantitative and qualitative crop yield. To examine the impact of foliar fertilization with micronutrients on various crop growth attributes, an experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2020 and 2021. Foliar spray with different combinations of zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, and manganese sulfate was done at 20 and 40 days after sowing. Increased plant height, leaf area index, leaf weight ratio, leaf area ratio, specific leaf weight, specific leaf area, crop growth rate, relative growth rate, and net assimilation rate were observed. Positive effect of foliar spray was observed in all parameters through all treatments. But, the overall maximum effect was observed in the treatment of foliar spray with T9 (0.2% FeSO4 +0.5% ZnSO4) followed by T7 (0.2% FeSO4 +0.2% ZnSO4) and T8 (0.5% FeSO4 and 0.2% ZnSO4). Given the positive effect of zinc, iron and manganese micronutrients on leaf and crop growth attributes, these treatments are suggested to be applied for the development of sweet corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Intra- and transgenerational plasticity may provide substantial phenotypic variation to cope with environmental change. Since assessing the unique contribution of the maternal environment to the offspring phenotype is challenging in perennial, outcrossing plants, little is known about the evolutionary and ecological implications of transgenerational plasticity and its persistence over the life cycle in these species. We evaluated how intra- and transgenerational plasticity interplay to shape the adaptive responses to drought in two perennial Mediterranean shrubs. Methods We used a novel common garden approach that reduced within-family genetic variation in both the maternal and offspring generations by growing the same maternal individual in two contrasting watering environments, well-watered and drought, in consecutive years. We then assessed phenotypic differences at the reproductive stage between offspring reciprocally grown in the same environments. Key Results Maternal drought had an effect on offspring performance only in Helianthemum squamatum. Offspring of drought-stressed plants showed more inflorescences, less sclerophyllous leaves and higher growth rates in both watering conditions, and heavier seeds under drought, than offspring of well-watered maternal plants. Maternal drought also induced similar plasticity patterns across maternal families, showing a general increase in seed mass in response to offspring drought, a pattern not observed in the offspring of well-watered plants. In contrast, both species expressed immediate adaptive plasticity, and the magnitude of intragenerational plasticity was larger than the transgenerational plastic responses. Conclusions Our results highlight that adaptive effects associated with maternal drought can persist beyond the seedling stage and provide evidence of species-level variation in the expression of transgenerational plasticity. Such differences between co-occurring Mediterranean species in the prevalence of this form of non-genetic inheritance may result in differential vulnerability to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Streptococcus agalactiae Biotype 2 affects Nile tilapia during the grow-out phase, exhibiting a higher virulence with more than 90% mortality compared to Biotype 1, ultimately leading to considerable economic losses in aquaculture. While other therapies are available to treat this bacterium, research on an herbal treatment for a resistance to S. agalactiae Biotype 2 infection in Nile tilapia is limited. In this study, we investigated the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf (MLE) extract-supplemented diets on the growth, feed utilization, hematology, innate immune response, and disease resistance of Nile tilapia against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. Results revealed that the diets supplemented with the MLE-0.5 group showed a significantly higher growth, feed utilization, hematology, innate immune response, and relative percent of survival of Nile tilapia against S. agalactiae Biotype 2 compared to the control, MLE-1, MLE-1.5, and MLE-2. In conclusion, MLE-0.5 can be employed as an alternative feed supplement in sustainable Nile tilapia farming to protect against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf (MLE) extract-supplemented diets on the growth, feed utilization, hematology, innate immune response, and disease resistance of Nile tilapia against Streptococcus agalactiae Biotype 2. Four hundred and fifty Nile tilapia (32.61 ± 0.2 g/fish) were randomly allocated into fifteen tanks (30 fish/tank). Different concentrations of MLE at 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% were fed to the Nile tilapia for 30 days, and the growth, feed utilization, hematology, and innate immune response of the Nile tilapia were determined. After the feeding trial, the Nile tilapia were challenged with a S. agalactiae Biotype 2 infection, and the relative percentage of survival (RPS) was determined. Results revealed the presence of quercetin, kaempferol, and p-coumaric acid in the MLE extract, exhibiting stronger antimicrobial activity against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. The diets supplemented with the MLE-0.5 group showed a significantly higher growth, feed utilization, hematology, and innate immune response in the Nile tilapia compared to the control and other MLE groups. Additionally, the MLE-0.5 group exhibited a significantly higher RPS of the Nile tilapia against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. Therefore, MLE-0.5 can be employed as an alternative feed supplement in sustainable Nile tilapia farming to protect against S. agalactiae Biotype 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growing evidence demonstrates that the synergistic interaction of far-red light with shorter wavelength lights could evidently improve the photosynthesis efficiency of multiple species. However, whether/how far-red light affects sink organs and consequently modulates the source‒sink relationships are largely unknown. Results: Here, equal intensities of white and far-red lights were added to natural light for grape plantlets to investigate the effects of far-red light supplementation on grapevine growth and carbon assimilate allocation, as well as to reveal the underlying mechanisms, through physiological and transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that additional far-red light increased stem length and carbohydrate contents in multiple organs and decreased leaf area, specific leaf weight and dry weight of leaves in comparison with their counterparts grown under white light. Compared to white light, the maximum net photosynthetic rate of the leaves was increased by 31.72% by far-red light supplementation, indicating that far-red light indeed elevated the photosynthesis efficiency of grapes. Transcriptome analysis revealed that leaves were most responsive to far-red light, followed by sink organs, including stems and roots. Genes related to light signaling and carbon metabolites were tightly correlated with variations in the aforementioned physiological traits. In particular, VvLHCB1 is involved in light harvesting and restoring the balance of photosystem I and photosystem II excitation, and VvCOP1 and VvPIF3, which regulate light signal transduction, were upregulated under far-red conditions. In addition, the transcript abundances of the sugar transporter-encoding genes VvSWEET1 and VvSWEET3 and the carbon metabolite-encoding genes VvG6PD, VvSUS7 and VvPGAM varied in line with the change in sugar content. Conclusions: This study showed that far-red light synergistically functioning with white light has a beneficial effect on grape photosystem activity and is able to differentially affect the growth of sink organs, providing evidence for the possible addition of far-red light to the wavelength range of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have demonstrated that epigenetic factors regulate plant developmental timing in response to environmental changes. However, we still have an incomplete view of how epigenetic factors can regulate developmental events such as organogenesis, and the transition from cell division to cell expansion, in plants. The small number of cell types and the relatively simple developmental progression required to form the Arabidopsis petal makes it a good model to investigate the molecular mechanisms driving plant organogenesis. In this study, we investigated how the RABBIT EARS (RBE) transcriptional repressor maintains the downregulation of its downstream direct target, TCP5, long after RBE expression dissipates. We showed that RBE recruits the Groucho/Tup1-like corepressor TOPLESS (TPL) to repress TCP5 transcription in petal primordia. This process involves multiple layers of changes such as remodeling of chromatin accessibility, alteration of RNA polymerase activity, and histone modifications, resulting in an epigenetic memory that is maintained through multiple cell divisions. This memory functions to maintain cell divisions during the early phase of petal development, and its attenuation in a cell division-dependent fashion later in development enables the transition from cell division to cell expansion. Overall, this study unveils a novel mechanism by which the memory of an epigenetic state, and its cell-cycle regulated decay, acts as a timer to precisely control organogenesis. Author summary: Epigenetic changes, such as histone modifications or DNA methylation, can modify gene expression without affecting the genetic code. Such alterations can persist for many cell generations, and often are induced by various environmental inputs in both plants and animals. By contrast, little is known of how intrinsic epigenetic changes can act to regulate the temporal progression of development. Here we showed that the expression of RABBIT EARS (RBE) represses the transcription of its target, TCP5, through inducing a variety of epigenetic changes at the TCP5 locus. These changes dissipated over a period of days, allowing for eventual activation of TCP5 expression and a concomitant shift from cell division to cell expansion during Arabidopsis petal development. The gradual loss of repressive epigenetic marks at the TCP5 locus represents an internal timing mechanism to temporally control the development of the Arabidopsis petal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C4 photosynthesis outperforms C3 photosynthesis in natural ecosystems by maintaining a high photosynthetic rate and affording higher water-use and nitrogen-use efficiencies. C4 plants can survive in environments with poor living conditions, such as high temperatures and arid regions, and will be crucial to ecological and agricultural security in the face of global climate change in the future. However, the genetic architecture of C4 photosynthesis remains largely unclear, especially the genetic regulation of C4 Kranz anatomy. Haloxylon ammodendron is an important afforestation tree species and a valuable C4 wood plant in the desert region. The unique characteristic of H. ammodendron is that, during the seedling stage, it utilizes C3 photosynthesis, while in mature assimilating shoots (maAS), it switches to the C4 pathway. This makes an exceptional opportunity for studying the development of the C4 Kranz anatomy and metabolic pathways within individual plants (identical genome). To provide broader insight into the regulation of Kranz anatomy and non-Kranz leaves of the C4 plant H. ammodendron , carbon isotope values, anatomical sections and transcriptome analyses were used to better understand the molecular and cellular processes related to the development of C4 Kranz anatomy. This study revealed that H. ammodendron conducts C3 in the cotyledon before it switches to C4 in AS. However, the switching requires a developmental process. Stable carbon isotope discrimination measurements on three different developmental stages showed that young AS have a C3-like δ13C even though C4 Kranz anatomy is found, which is inconsistent with the anatomical findings. A C4-like δ13C can be measured in AS until they are mature. The expression analysis of C4 key genes also showed that the maAS exhibited higher expression than the young AS. In addition, many genes that may be related to the development of Kranz anatomy were screened. Comparison of gene expression patterns with respect to anatomy during leaf ontogeny provided insight into the genetic features of Kranz anatomy. This study helps with our understanding of the development of Kranz anatomy and provides future directions for studies on key C4 regulatory genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) is a highly phosphorus-use-efficient plant native to southwest Australia. It maintains a high photosynthetic rate at low leaf phosphorus (P) and exhibits delayed leaf greening, a convergent adaptation that increases nutrient-use efficiency. This study aimed to provide broad physiological and gene expression profiles across leaf development, uncovering pathways leading from young leaves as nutrient sinks to mature leaves as low-nutrient, energy-transducing sources. Methods: To explore gene expression underlying delayed greening, we analysed a de novo transcriptome for H. prostrata across five stages of leaf development. Photosynthesis and respiration rates, and foliar pigment, P and nitrogen (N) concentrations were determined, including the division of P into five biochemical fractions. Key results: Transcripts encoding functions associated with leaf structure generally decreased in abundance across leaf development, concomitant with decreases in foliar concentrations of 85% for anthocyanins, 90% for P and 70% for N. The expression of genes associated with photosynthetic function increased during or after leaf expansion, in parallel with increases in photosynthetic pigments and activity, much later in leaf development than in species that do not have delayed greening. As leaves developed, transcript abundance for cytosolic and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins generally declined, whilst transcripts for chloroplast ribosomal proteins increased. Conclusions: There was a much longer temporal separation of leaf cell growth from chloroplast development in H. prostrata than is found in species that lack delayed greening. Transcriptome-guided analysis of leaf development in H. prostrata provided insight into delayed greening as a nutrient-saving strategy in severely phosphorus-impoverished landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf traits are good indicators of ecosystem functioning and plant adaptations to environmental conditions. We examined whether leaf trait variability at species and community levels in Mediterranean woody vegetation is explained by growth form, regeneration mode, and vegetation type. We studied several plant communities across five vegetation types – semi‐closed forest, open forest, closed shrubland, open shrubland, and scrubland – in southwestern Anatolia, Türkiye. Using linear mixed models, community‐weighted trait means, and principal component analysis, we tested how much variability in three leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf thickness, and leaf area) is accounted for species, growth form, regeneration mode, and vegetation type. Despite a large amount of leaf trait variability both within‐ and among‐species existed, functional groups still accounted for a significant part of this variability. Resprouters had higher SLA and leaf area and lower leaf thickness than non‐resprouters. However, further functional separation in regeneration mode, by considering the propagule‐persistence trait and the seed bank locality, explained leaf trait variability better than only resprouting ability. Although no consistent pattern was observed in three leaf traits in the growth form, we found evidence for the difference in SLA and leaf thickness between shrubs and large shrubs, and subshrubs had smaller leaves than other growth forms. Vegetation type also accounted for a substantial amount of leaf trait variability. Specifically, plant communities in closed habitats had larger leaf area than open ones, and those in scrublands had higher SLA, lower leaf thickness, and lower leaf area than other vegetation types. Climate and phylogeny had limited contribution to the results obtained, with the exception of a significant phylogenetic effect in explaining the differences in SLA between resprouters and non‐resprouters. Our results suggest that multiple drivers are responsible for shaping plant trait variability in Mediterranean plant communities, including growth form, regeneration mode, and vegetation type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance seashore paspalum grass growth and quality, bed (28 × 40 cm) experiment was done at Horticulture Department roof of Zagazig University, Egypt during 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 seasons. The main factors of this experiment were, firstly bio-fertilizers type (control, nitrobein, phosphorein and nitrobein + phosphorein), secondly nano-micronutrients named Magro NanoMix (0.0, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 g/l) beside their interaction treatments. The experimental design was split-plot design which had 16 treatments in three replicates. The results pointed out that fertilization seashore paspalum with 0.5 g/m² of nitrobein + 0.5 g/m² of phosphorein significantly enhanced plant height, herb fresh and dry weight per area, roots fresh and dry weights per area, covering density (%) and total chlorophyll content (mg/100 g as fresh weight) compared to the other bio- fertilizer types. Nano-micronutrients fertilizer at any tested concentration significantly increased growth traits and leaf greening compared to control. The highest values of all above mentioned traits were obtained by fertilization with 1000 ppm of nano-micronutrients. Generally, to enhance growth of seashore paspalum grasses and increase covering density and their greening it is recommended to fertilize plants with nitrobein + phosphorein each at 0.5 g/ m² and spraying them with nanomicronutrients at 1000 ppm three times during winter season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth exhibits rhythmic characteristics, and gibberellins (GAs) are involved in regulating cell growth, but it is still unclear how GAs crosstalk with circadian rhythm to regulate cell elongation. The study analyzed growth characteristics of wild-type (WT), zmga3ox and zmga3ox with GA3 seedlings. We integrated metabolomes and transcriptomes to study the interaction between GAs and circadian rhythm in mediating leaf elongation. The rates of leaf growth were higher in WT than zmga3ox, and zmga3ox cell length was shorter when proliferated in darkness than light, and GA3 restored zmga3ox leaf growth. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between WT and zmga3ox were mainly enriched in hormone signaling and cell wall synthesis, while DEGs in zmga3ox were restored to WT by GA3. Moreover, the number of circadian DEGs that reached the peak expression in darkness was more than light, and the upregulated circadian DEGs were mainly enriched in cell wall synthesis. The differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were mainly attributed to flavonoids and phenolic acid. Twenty-two DAMs showed rhythmic accumulation, especially enriched in lignin synthesis. The circadian DEGs ZmMYBr41/87 and ZmHB34/70 were identified as regulators of ZmHCT8 and ZmBM1, which were enzymes in lignin synthesis. Furthermore, GAs regulated ZmMYBr41/87 and ZmHB34/70 to modulate lignin biosynthesis for mediating leaf rhythmic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf color mutations provide valuable genetic resources for elucidating the molecular regulatory mechanisms of plant growth and serve as efficient tools for screening offspring in crossbreeding. In this study, a Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) mutant with yellow‐green leaves (yl1) was isolated from 60Co‐γ‐radiation mutation bank. Compared to wild type (WT), yl1 showed similar biomass and yield, despite a lower chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate. However, yl1 displayed significantly higher total phosphorus content after 14 days of medium and low phosphorus treatment. By using yl1 as the maternal parent, hybrid offspring could be visually distinguished at the cotyledon stage. Genetic analysis revealed that the yl1 phenotype was attributed to a single recessive mutation. Combined metabolome and transcriptome analysis identified 205 differential expressed metabolites (DEMs) and 123 differential expressed genes enriched in 30 pathways or metabolisms between yl1 and WT. Remarkably, the upregulation of SPX3, 5PTase2, PHO1, PAP3, PAP2, PAP7, and IPAP16, which are involved in enhancing phosphorus absorption, assimilation, transport, and remobilization, along with PLDζ1, GDPD1, MGD2, and NPC4L, which contribute to improving lipid metabolism, collectively resulted in high accumulation of 41 phosphorus‐containing DEMs (including 37 lipids) in yl1. This study emphasizes the potential of yl1 for effective screening of offspring and uncovers the interplay between photosynthesis and lipid metabolism, providing valuable insights to improve phosphorus use efficiency in Tartary buckwheat. Core Ideas: yl1 was available for efficient offspring screening at the cotyledon stage.Altered lipid metabolism partly compensated for insufficient photosynthesis to sustain yl1 growth.yl1 had candidate genes with potential to improve phosphorus use efficiency.yl1, resulting from a single recessive locus mutation, displayed yellow‐green leaves without growth suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro-propagated potato plantlets are commonly used in potato seed tuber production. Four experiments were carried out to identify how the duration of the last in vitro phase ('age') before planting of in vitro-produced plantlets affects the early growth and development ex vitro, assessed 10–14 days after planting. Experiments included varying ranges in age of the in vitro plantlets at planting (10–40, 15–45, 14–28 and 14–56 days old at the moment of planting in the respective experiments) and different cultivars. Because in vitro plantlet size increases with age, the first experiment studied interactions between age and planting method. Planting 'deep' (the upper four visible leaves above the ground) seemed more robust than planting 'shallow' (all nodes/leaves above ground except the lowest two), and in later experiments, only deep planting was applied. Across experiments, plants grown from younger in vitro plantlets had smaller leaf areas 10–14 days after planting than those from older in vitro plantlets. The increase in leaf area levelled off with increasing age of the in vitro plantlets used, especially when plantlets were older than c. 28 days. Larger leaf areas 10–14 days after planting were related to the older in vitro plantlets having higher absolute growth rates after planting and a larger above-ground leaf area at planting, even though four leaves were kept above ground in all treatments. Below ground, plants from older in vitro plantlets had more stem nodes, initiated stolons earlier after planting and initiated more stolons per plant. Tuber initiation rarely occurred within 14 days after planting, but was observed in some plants from 42- and especially 56-day-old in vitro plantlets of the very early cultivar Gloria and a single plant from 56-day-old in vitro plantlets of the mid-early cultivar Bintje. The data show that planting older in vitro plantlets can enhance early leaf area growth. Plants from older in vitro plantlets also more readily initiate stolons below ground and may be more advanced in the tuber formation process, especially when from early cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flower buds of Anthurium andraeanum frequently cease to grow and abort during the early flowering stage, resulting in prolonged planting times and increased commercialization costs. Nevertheless, limited knowledge exists of the mechanism of flower development after initiation in A. andraeanum. Results: In this study, the measurement of carbohydrate flow and intensity between leaves and flowers during different growth stages showed that tender leaves are strong sinks and their concomitant flowers are weak ones. This suggested that the tender leaves compete with their concomitant flower buds for carbohydrates during the early growth stages, potentially causing the abortion of the flower buds. The analysis of transcriptomic differentially expressed genes suggested that genes related to sucrose metabolism and auxin response play an important role during flower bud development. Particularly, co-expression network analysis found that AaSPL12 is a hub gene engaged in flower development by collaborating carbohydrate and auxin signals. Yeast Two Hybrid assays revealed that AaSPL12 can interact with AaARP, a protein that serves as an indicator of dormancy. Additionally, the application of exogenous IAA and sucrose can suppress the expression of AaARP, augment the transcriptional abundance of AaSPL12, and consequently expedite flower development in Anthurium andraeanum. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings indicated that the combination of auxin and sugar signals could potentially suppress the repression of AaARP protein to AaSPL12, thus advancing the development of flower buds in Anthurium andraeanum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flower buds of Anthurium andraeanum frequently cease to grow and abort during the early flowering stage, resulting in prolonged planting times and increased commercialization costs. Nevertheless, limited knowledge exists of the mechanism of flower development after initiation in A. andraeanum. Results: In this study, the measurement of carbohydrate flow and intensity between leaves and flowers during different growth stages showed that tender leaves are strong sinks and their concomitant flowers are weak ones. This suggested that the tender leaves compete with their concomitant flower buds for carbohydrates during the early growth stages, potentially causing the abortion of the flower buds. The analysis of transcriptomic differentially expressed genes suggested that genes related to sucrose metabolism and auxin response play an important role during flower bud development. Particularly, co-expression network analysis found that AaSPL12 is a hub gene engaged in flower development by collaborating carbohydrate and auxin signals. Yeast Two Hybrid assays revealed that AaSPL12 can interact with AaARP, a protein that serves as an indicator of dormancy. Additionally, the application of exogenous IAA and sucrose can suppress the expression of AaARP, augment the transcriptional abundance of AaSPL12, and consequently expedite flower development in Anthurium andraeanum. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings indicated that the combination of auxin and sugar signals could potentially suppress the repression of AaARP protein to AaSPL12, thus advancing the development of flower buds in Anthurium andraeanum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Calocybe species possess notable economic and medicinal value, demonstrating substantial potential for resource utilization. The taxonomic studies of Calocybe are lacking in quality and depth. Based on the specimens collected from northeast China, this study provides a detailed description of two newly discovered species, namely Calocybe betulicola and Calocybe cystidiosa, as well as two commonly found species, Calocybe decolorata and Calocybe ionides. Additionally, a previously unrecorded species, C. decolorata, has recently been discovered in Jilin Province, China. The two newly discovered species can be accurately distinguished from other species within the genus Calocybe based on their distinct morphological characteristics. The primary distinguishing features of C. betulicola include its grayish-purple pileus, grayish-brown to dark purple stipe, smaller basidiomata, absence of cellular pileipellis, and its habitat on leaf litter within birch forests. Calocybe cystidiosa is distinguished by its growth on the leaf litter of coniferous forests, a flesh-pink pileus, a fibrous stipe with a white tomentose covering at the base, non-cellular pileipellis, larger basidiospores, and the presence of cheilocystidia. The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees using combined ITS , nLSU , and tef1-α sequences, employing maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses, showed that C. betulicola formed a cluster with C. decurrens, while C. cystidiosa clustered with C. vinacea. However, these two clusters formed separate branches themselves, which also supported the results obtained from our morphological studies. A key to the Calocybe species reported from northeast China is provided to facilitate future studies of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Calocybe species possess notable economic and medicinal value, demonstrating substantial potential for resource utilization. The taxonomic studies of Calocybe are lacking in quality and depth. Based on the specimens collected from northeast China, this study provides a detailed description of two newly discovered species, namely Calocybe betulicola and Calocybe cystidiosa, as well as two commonly found species, Calocybe decolorata and Calocybe ionides. Additionally, a previously unrecorded species, C. decolorata, has recently been discovered in Jilin Province, China. The two newly discovered species can be accurately distinguished from other species within the genus Calocybe based on their distinct morphological characteristics. The primary distinguishing features of C. betulicola include its grayish-purple pileus, grayish-brown to dark purple stipe, smaller basidiomata, absence of cellular pileipellis, and its habitat on leaf litter within birch forests. Calocybe cystidiosa is distinguished by its growth on the leaf litter of coniferous forests, a flesh-pink pileus, a fibrous stipe with a white tomentose covering at the base, non-cellular pileipellis, larger basidiospores, and the presence of cheilocystidia. The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees using combined ITS , nLSU , and tef1-α sequences, employing maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses, showed that C. betulicola formed a cluster with C. decurrens, while C. cystidiosa clustered with C. vinacea. However, these two clusters formed separate branches themselves, which also supported the results obtained from our morphological studies. A key to the Calocybe species reported from northeast China is provided to facilitate future studies of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grafting is widely used as an important agronomic approach to deal with environmental stresses. However, the molecular mechanism of grafted tomato scions in response to biotic stress and growth regulation has yet to be fully understood. Results: This study investigated the resistance and growth performance of tomato scions grafted onto various rootstocks. A scion from a gray leaf spot-susceptible tomato cultivar was grafted onto tomato, eggplant, and pepper rootstocks, creating three grafting combinations: one self-grafting of tomato/tomato (TT), and two interspecific graftings, namely tomato/eggplant (TE) and tomato/pepper (TP). The study utilized transcriptome and DNA methylome analyses to explore the regulatory mechanisms behind the resistance and growth traits in the interspecific graftings. Results indicated that interspecific grafting significantly enhanced resistance to gray leaf spot and improved fruit quality, though fruit yield was decreased compared to self-grafting. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that, compared to self-grafting, interspecific graftings triggered stronger wounding response and endogenous immune pathways, while restricting genes related to cell cycle pathways, especially in the TP grafting. Methylome data revealed that the TP grafting had more hypermethylated regions at CHG (H = A, C, or T) and CHH sites than the TT grafting. Furthermore, the TP grafting exhibited increased methylation levels in cell cycle related genes, such as DNA primase and ligase, while several genes related to defense kinases showed decreased methylation levels. Notably, several kinase transcripts were also confirmed among the rootstock-specific mobile transcripts. Conclusions: The study concludes that interspecific grafting alters gene methylation patterns, thereby activating defense responses and inhibiting the cell cycle in tomato scions. This mechanism is crucial in enhancing resistance to gray leaf spot and reducing growth in grafted tomato scions. These findings offer new insights into the genetic and epigenetic contributions to agronomic trait improvements through interspecific grafting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To play essential roles of manganese (Mn) in plant growth and development, it needs to be transported to different organs and tissues after uptake. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Mn distribution between different tissues are poorly understood.We functionally characterized a member of rice natural resistance‐associated macrophage protein (NRAMP) family, OsNramp5 in terms of its tissue specificity of gene expression, cell‐specificity of protein localization, phenotypic analysis of leaf growth and response to Mn fluctuations.OsNramp5 is highly expressed in the leaf sheath. Immunostaining revealed that OsNramp5 is polarly localized at the proximal side of xylem parenchyma cells of the leaf sheath. Both the gene expression and protein abundance of OsNramp5 are unaffected by different Mn concentrations. Knockout of OsNramp5 decreased the distribution of Mn to the leaf sheath, but increased the distribution to the leaf blade at both low and high Mn supplies, resulting in reduced growth of leaf sheath. Furthermore, expression of OsNramp5 under the control of root‐specific promoter in osnramp5 mutant complemented Mn uptake, but could not complement Mn distribution to the leaf sheath.These results indicate that OsNramp5 expressed in the leaf sheath plays an important role in unloading Mn from the xylem for the local distribution in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Understanding the underlying mechanisms of plant development is crucial to successfully steer or manipulate plant growth in a targeted manner. Leaves, the primary sites of photosynthesis, are vital organs for many plant species, and leaf growth is controlled by a tight temporal and spatial regulatory network. In this review, we focus on the genetic networks governing leaf cell proliferation, one major contributor to final leaf size. First, we provide an overview of six regulator families of leaf growth in Arabidopsis: DA1, PEAPODs, KLU, GRFs, the SWI/SNF complexes, and DELLAs, together with their surrounding genetic networks. Next, we discuss their evolutionary conservation to highlight similarities and differences among species, because knowledge transfer between species remains a big challenge. Finally, we focus on the increase in knowledge of the interconnectedness between these genetic pathways, the function of the cell cycle machinery as their central convergence point, and other internal and environmental cues. Significance Statement: To understand complex developmental processes such as leaf growth, information on individual gene functions as well as a broader system‐wide view of the process are crucial. Here, we summarize known information on several important leaf cell proliferation‐controlling pathways as well as their interconnections among each other in Arabidopsis thaliana and draw comparisons to other plant species to provide an overview of where current knowledge stands and how this field of study might move forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the effects of organic fertilizer and foliar application of mallow leaf extract on the growth and yield of eggplant was the aim of this latest study held in spring 2021 in the Al-Najaf Province, Iraq. The treatments comprising adding decomposed palm waste to the soil at three levels (0, 16, and 32 mg ha-1), foliar application of mallow leaf extract at three concentrations (0, 0.2, and 0.4 gm.l-1), and their interactions incurred probing in eggplants. The experiment began in a randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with factorial arrangement and three replications. The results obtained through the analysis of variance continued to further evaluation through the least significant difference test to compare and separate the various means. The results showed that organic fertilization with decomposing palm residues at 32 mg ha-1 significantly outperformed the other treatments for plant height, total leaves, dry weight of vegetative growth, fruits per plant, yield per plant, total yield, nitrogen (%), and total chlorophyll content in the leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of fruit trees depends on the nitrogen (N) remobilization in mature tissues and N acquisition from the soil. However, in evergreen mature citrus (Citrus reticulata Blanco) leaves, proteins with N storage functions and hub molecules involved in driving N remobilization remain largely unknown. Here, we combined proteome and physiological analyses to characterize the spatiotemporal mechanisms of growth of new leaves and storage protein degradation in mature leaves of citrus trees exposed to low-N and high-N fertilization in the field. Results show that the growth of new leaves is driven by remobilization of stored reserves, rather than N uptake by the roots. In this context, proline and arginine in mature leaves acted as N sources supporting the growth of new leaves in spring. Time-series analyses with gel electrophoresis and proteome analysis indicated that the mature autumn shoot leaves are probably the sites of storage protein synthesis, while the aspartic endopeptidase protein is related to the degradation of storage proteins in mature citrus leaves. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis based on protein–protein interactions indicated that glutamate synthetase and ATP-citrate synthetase are hub proteins in N remobilization from mature citrus leaves. These results provide strong physiological data for seasonal optimization of N fertilizer application in citrus orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids have numerous functions in plants, one of which is growth regulation. During the study, callus cultures were obtained from different structural elements—root, hypocotyl, shoot base, and cotyledons—of 5- and 14-day-old Lychnis chalcedony plants (Lychnis chalcedonica L.); the growth rates of the corresponding callus tissues and their accumulation of flavonoids (Fl) were studied. The total Fl content in the leaves of different tiers of vegetative plants was determined spectrophotometrically. The HPLC method was used to analyze the content of three Fls: rutin (R), quercetin (QCT), and dihydroquercetin (DHQ) in the roots, leaves, and inflorescences of flowering plants cultivated on soddy-podzolic soil of the Tomsk oblast (Russia). The growth and total content of phenolic compounds and three Fls in callus and suspension cultures obtained from root explants of young Lychnis plants were studied. The growth characteristics and organ specificity in the accumulation of individual Fl were established. The dependence of the physiological state of leaves and cell cultures on the Fl content is shown. On day 14, the suspension culture (passage ten) obtained from root callus (passage 92) had similar R and DHQ contents to the original line of callus culture and a lower level of QCT. DHQ was predominantly present in the roots of flowering plants, while R was present in the inflorescences and upper leaves. A tendency for R to decrease in a number of organs has been established: inflorescence ≥ leaves > root. The QCT distribution shows an inverse R dependence. The content of DHQ in leaves was 1.9 times less (P < 0.05) than in the inflorescence. The level of this Fl in the roots was many times higher (P < 0.05) than in aboveground organs. Following an increase in the oxidative status of the mature leaf of vegetative Lychnis plants relative to the young leaf, the osmotic and antioxidant systems, including proline and the total level of Fl, were activated. At the same time, callus (passage six), obtained from younger tissues of the hypocotyl of 5-day-old seedlings, had trace amounts of the studied Fl, while callus formed from more mature tissues of the shoot base of 14-day-old seedlings was characterized by a higher level of different Fl. Based on the obtained data, it can be assumed that Fl is involved in the regulation of the growth of leaves and cell cultures due to their antioxidant or regulatory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro propagation is a crucial method for the mass production of high-quality plants, but the impact of microbiological interventions during ex vitro storage remains an underexplored aspect. This study aims to assess the effects of three commercial biostimulants in the form of microbiological preparations—BactoFungiStop, AzotoPower, and Guard—applied over six months through foliar sprays on the post-storage quality of Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart', Echinacea purpurea 'Secret Glow', Heuchera × hybrida 'Northern Exposure Red', Persicaria amplecicaulis 'JS Caliente', and Rudbeckia × hybrida 'Sunbeckia Sophia Yellow' plants. The monthly application of microbiological preparations adhered to the concentrations recommended by producers. Post-storage evaluations included shoot and root parameters, leaf morphology, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. All microbiological preparations positively influenced shoot elongation in B. macrophylla 'Silver Heart'. The microbiological treatments stimulated root development in this species, i.e., increased root length, area, volume, and the number of root forks and tips. In E. purpurea 'Secret Glow', all three preparations enhanced shoot length, leaf parameters, and root traits, with Guard demonstrating the highest efficacy. As for P. amplecicaulis 'JS Caliente', BactoFungiStop negatively affected shoot and leaf parameters but promoted root development. Heuchera × hybrida 'Northern Exposure Red' exhibited increased shoot and leaf dimensions with all microbiological treatments, while Rudbeckia × hybrida 'Sunbeckia Sophia Yellow' displayed positive responses in shoot-related traits but no impact on root development. None of the microbiological preparations influenced chlorophyll biosynthesis in any of the studied species. The results of our research can be implemented in the large-scale production of ornamental plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Message: A novel non-steady-state kinematic analysis shows differences in cell division and expansion determining a better recovery from a 3-day cold spell in emerged compared to non-emerged maize leaves. Zea mays is highly sensitive to chilling which frequently occurs during its seedling stage. Although the direct effect of chilling is well studied, the mechanisms determining the subsequent recovery are still unknown. Our goal is to determine the cellular basis of the leaf growth response to chilling and during recovery of leaves exposed before or after their emergence. We first studied the effect of a 3-day cold spell on leaf growth at the plant level. Then, we performed a kinematic analysis to analyse the dynamics of cell division and elongation during recovery of the 4th leaf after exposure to cold before or after emergence. Our results demonstrated cold more strongly reduced the final length of non-emerged than emerged leaves (− 13 vs. − 18%). This was not related to growth differences during cold, but a faster and more complete recovery of the growth of emerged leaves. This difference was due to a higher cell division rate on the 1st and a higher cell elongation rate on the 2nd day of recovery, respectively. The dynamics of cell division and expansion during recovery determines developmental stage-specific differences in cold tolerance of maize leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein AsHSP26.2 positively regulates plant growth and is a novel candidate for use in crop genetic engineering for enhanced biomass production and grain yield. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), a family of proteins with high level of diversity, significantly influence plant stress tolerance and plant development. We have cloned a creeping bentgrass chloroplast-localized sHSP gene, AsHSP26.2 responsive to IAA, GA and 6-BA stimulation. Transgenic creeping bentgrass overexpressing AsHSP26.2 exhibited significantly enhanced plant growth with increased stolon number and length as well as enlarged leaf blade width and leaf sheath diameters, but inhibited leaf trichomes initiation and development in the abaxial epidermis. These phenotypes are completely opposite to those displayed in the transgenic plants overexpressing AsHSP26.8, another chloroplast sHSP26 isoform that contains additional seven amino acids (AEGQGDG) between the consensus regions III and IV (Sun et al., Plant Cell Environ 44:1769–1787, 2021). Furthermore, AsHSP26.2 overexpression altered phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling transduction, resulting in elevated auxin and gibberellins (GA) accumulation. The results obtained provide novel insights implicating the sHSPs in plant growth and development regulation, and strongly suggest AsHSP26.2 to be a novel candidate for use in crop genetic engineering for enhanced plant biomass production and grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical components in the hexane‐extract mixture from Phalaenopsis leaves were isolated and identified during the spike induction process. Several lipophilic components in the hexane‐extract mixture were isolated and identified as oleic acid, 1,2‐O‐dilinolenoyl‐MGDG, 1‐O‐linolenoyl‐2‐O‐linoleoyl‐MGDG, and α‐tocopherol by HPLC and NMR techniques. It is noteworthy that only one isomer of α‐tocopherol was isolated from Phalaenopsis leaves based on NMR spectra analysis. MGDG have a great potential to be a control factor in the regulation of spike process of Phalaenopsis. It is the first time to identify the chemical MGDG related to temperature‐controlled process of Phalaenopsis. These components have hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties in the same molecule to act as potential amphiphiles. The use of the entire mixed hexane extract to form liposomes containing the dmbpyPtCl2 complex greatly enhanced the reactivity of the complex for inhibiting E. coli growth compared with the use of a single amphiphile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional traits have been proposed to define key dimensions of plant ecological strategies, but we lack consensus on whether traits can accurately predict plant demography. Despite theoretical expectations, it has been challenging to find consistent relationships between functional traits and growth.In this study, we quantified inter‐ and intraspecific trait variation (ITV) and individual growth rates of woody plants across a steep moisture gradient that varies 10‐fold in annual precipitation (350–3700 mm) in southern Chile and used a hierarchical Bayesian model to predict growth as a function of trait values.We show that large‐leaved species with lower stem tissue density exhibited the fastest growth rates, and these two traits exhibited the highest proportion of interspecific variation. Predictions of growth improved considerably (R2 of the best model increased from 0.28 to 0.49) when species‐level multiple traits and their interactions were considered. The inclusion of ITV, however, did not improve models of growth rate.We found that trait–growth rate relationships were not always consistent across levels of biological organization; relationships observed at the interspecific level did not necessarily hold at the intraspecific level. We found that the relationships between wood density or leaf size and growth were consistent in direction across the precipitation gradient, and the relationships between leaf economics traits and growth were weak and site‐specific.Synthesis. Although using more than one functional trait considerably improved growth predictions, wood density and leaf size successfully predicted growth rates across (not within) species, which is consistent with a whole‐plant carbon economy. We assert that these two traits are intimately linked and ultimately describe a continuum of plant architecture and carbon economy that covers multiple trait syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Plants grown under low magnesium (Mg) soils are highly susceptible to encountering light intensities that exceed the capacity of photosynthesis (A), leading to a depression of photosynthetic efficiency and eventually to photooxidation (i.e., leaf chlorosis). Yet, it remains unclear which processes play a key role in limiting the photosynthetic energy utilization of Mg‐deficient leaves, and whether the plasticity of A in acclimation to irradiance could have cross‐talk with Mg, hence accelerating or mitigating the photodamage. We investigated the light acclimation responses of rapeseed (Brassica napus) grown under low‐ and adequate‐Mg conditions. Magnesium deficiency considerably decreased rapeseed growth and leaf A, to a greater extent under high than under low light, which is associated with higher level of superoxide anion radical and more severe leaf chlorosis. This difference was mainly attributable to a greater depression in dark reaction under high light, with a higher Rubisco fallover and a more limited mesophyll conductance to CO2 (gm). Plants grown under high irradiance enhanced the content and activity of Rubisco and gm to optimally utilize more light energy absorbed. However, Mg deficiency could not fulfill the need to activate the higher level of Rubisco and Rubisco activase in leaves of high‐light‐grown plants, leading to lower Rubisco activation and carboxylation rate. Additionally, Mg‐deficient leaves under high light invested more carbon per leaf area to construct a compact leaf structure with smaller intercellular airspaces, lower surface area of chloroplast exposed to intercellular airspaces, and CO2 diffusion conductance through cytosol. These caused a more severe decrease in within‐leaf CO2 diffusion rate and substrate availability. Taken together, plant plasticity helps to improve photosynthetic energy utilization under high light but aggravates the photooxidative damage once the Mg nutrition becomes insufficient. Significance Statement: Plants grown under low Mg soils are highly susceptible to excessive light intensity, resulting in photooxidation and subsequent leaf chlorosis. The results indicated that plant plasticity, such as increasing Rubisco content and gm, helps to improve photosynthetic energy utilization under high light but aggravates the photooxidative damage once the Mg nutrition becomes insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is a class of transcription factors consisting of NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC subunits, which are widely distributed in eukaryotes. The NF-YC subunit regulates plant growth and development and plays an important role in the response to stresses. However, there are few reports on this gene subfamily in tea plants. In this study, nine CsNF-YC genes were identified in the genome of 'Longjing 43'. Their phylogeny, gene structure, promoter cis-acting elements, motifs and chromosomal localization of these gene were analyzed. Tissue expression characterization revealed that most of the CsNF-YCs were expressed at low levels in the terminal buds and at relatively high levels in the flowers and roots. CsNF-YC genes responded significantly to gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. We further focused on CsNF-YC6 because it may be involved in the growth and development of tea plants and the regulation of response to abiotic stresses. The CsNF-YC6 protein is localized in the nucleus. Arabidopsis that overexpressed CsNF-YC6 (CsNF-YC6-OE) showed increased seed germination and increased root length under ABA and GA treatments. In addition, the number of cauline leaves, stem lengths and silique numbers were significantly higher in overexpressing Arabidopsis lines than wild type under long-day growth conditions, and CsNF-YC6 promoted primary root growth and increased flowering in Arabidopsis. qPCR analysis showed that in CsNF-YC6-OE lines, flowering pathway-related genes were transcribed at higher levels than wild type. The investigation of the CsNF-YC gene has unveiled that CsNF-YC6 plays a pivotal role in plant growth, root and flower development, as well as responses to abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of corn stalk leaves and pith on the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility, and serum biochemical indexes of mutton sheep. Thirty healthy ewes weighing (30.0 ± 3.0) kg were randomly divided into two groups according to the principle of similar body weight, with three replicates in each group and five ewes in each replicate. The sheep in the control group were fed a corn straw as the roughage, the sheep in the experimental group were fed corn stalk leaves and pith as the roughage, and the sheep in the experimental group and the control group were fed the same concentrate. The pre-trial period was 10 days and the formal trial period was 90 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, the average daily gain of the experimental group increased by 10.58%, the average daily dry matter intake increased by 1.01%, and the feed to gain ratio decreased by 8.66%. The apparent digestibility rates of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, calcium, and phosphorus in the experimental group were 6.52%, 8.69%, 9.43%, 8.17%, 8.43%, 5.87%, and 6.51% higher than those in the control group, respectively. Compared with the control group, the total protein content, globulin content, and alkaline phosphatase activity in the serum of sheep in the experimental group increased by 3.41%, 10.70%, and 12.42%, respectively, and the urea nitrogen content decreased by 5.00%. The concentrations of serum immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin M, immunoglobulin G, complement C3, and complement C4 in the experimental group were 5.89%, 7.90%, 7.58%, 6.95%, and 2.66% higher than those in the control group, respectively. The experiment o indicates that compared with the whole corn stalk, corn stalk leaves and pith are a kind or high quality roughage herbivorous livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]