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The co-contamination of soils by microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd), one of the most perilous heavy metals, is emerging as a significant global concern, posing risks to plant productivity and human health. However, there remains a gap in the literature concerning comprehensive evaluations of the combined effects of MPs and Cd on soil-plant-human systems. This review examines the interactions and co-impacts of MPs and Cd in soil-plant-human systems, elucidating their mechanisms and synergistic effects on plant development and health risks. We also review the origins and contamination levels of MPs and Cd, revealing that sewage, atmospheric deposition, and biosolid applications are contributors to the contamination of soil with MPs and Cd. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that MPs significantly (p<0.05) increase the bioavailability of soil Cd and the accumulation of Cd in plant shoots by 6.9 and 9.3 %, respectively. The MPs facilitate Cd desorption from soils through direct adsorption via surface complexation and physical adsorption, as well as indirectly by modifying soil physicochemical properties, such as pH and dissolved organic carbon, and altering soil microbial diversity. These interactions augment the bioavailability of Cd, along with MPs, adversely affect plant growth and its physiological functions. Moreover, the ingestion of MPs and Cd through the food chain significantly enhances the bioaccessibility of Cd and exacerbates histopathological alterations in human tissues, thereby amplifying the associated health risks. This review provides insights into the coexistence of MPs and Cd and their synergistic effects on soil-plant-human systems, emphasizing the need for further research in this critical subject area., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Despite extensive substitution of biodegradable plastics (BPs) for conventional plastics (CPs), research on their environmental ecological consequences as microplastics (MPs) is scarce. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating the impacts of six prototypical MPs (categorized into BMPs and CMPs) on plant growth, cadmium (Cd) translocation, and bacterial communities in contaminated sediments. Results showed both BMPs and CMPs hindered plant development; yet interestingly, BMPs provoked more pronounced physiological and biochemical changes alongside increased oxidative stress due to reactive oxygen species accumulation. Notably, most MP types promoted the absorption of Cd by plant roots potentially via a "dilution effect". BMPs also induced larger shifts in soil microbial metabolic functions compared to CMPs. Ramlibacter was identified as a key biomarker distinguishing BMPs from CMPs, with link to multiple N metabolic pathways and N assimilation. This study offers novel insights into intricate biochemical mechanisms and environmental chemistry behaviors underpinning MP-Cd interactions within the plant-microbe-sediment system, emphasizing BMPs' higher potential ecological risks based on their significant effects on plant health and microbial ecology. This work contributes to enhancing the comprehensive understanding of their ecological implications and potential threats to environmental security., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microplastics (MPs) discharging into constructed wetlands pose risks to these ecosystems. Nevertheless, the perturbation of MPs to different types of macrophytes, which play important roles in purifying pollutants of wetlands, has not been fully elucidated. In this study, polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) perturbation on nitrogen removal and sensory quality of surface flow constructed wetlands planted with emergent and submerged macrophytes were investigated. PS-MPs enhanced N removal efficiencies temporarily, whereas the N removal rate constants were declined as exposure time was prolonged. The NH 4 + -N removal rate constants declined by 25.78 % and 34.03 % in E and S groups respectively. The NO 3 - -N removal rate constants declined by 22.13 % in the S groups. Denitrifiers including Thiobacillus, Rhodobacter, and Sulfuritalea were stressed. The sensory quality deteriorated after PS-MPs exposure, which was significantly related to changes in Chlorophyll a, particle size distribution, and colored dissolved organic matter. Turbidity in E groups and chroma in S groups were greatly affected by PS-MPs. Overall, under MPs exposure, macrophytes in E groups were more suitable for nitrogen removal, and macrophytes in S groups better purified the turbidity. The study could provide the basis for better allocation of macrophytes in CWs to reduce the purifying risk by PS-MPs disturbance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the influence of plant-derived biochar (PB) and animal-derived biochar (AB) on behavior of heavy metals and phosphorus fractions during sewage sludge composting. PB was highly effective in reducing the bioavailability of Zn and Cu by 39% and 50%, respectively, while AB decreased the bioavailability of Pb (30%) and Cd (12%). Both biochar increased available phosphorus by over 38%. Acid extractable and bioavailable Pb in AB, and water-soluble, oxidizable and total Zn, acid extractable and oxidizable Cu in PB were positively correlated with moderately resistant organic phosphorus (MROP). Besides, in AB, Cd had strong and positive correlation with highly resistant organic phosphorus (HROP). This suggested biochar facilitated the formation of stable organometallic complexes through binding metal ions to phosphorus fractions, with notable differences based on biochar source. FT-IR showed biochar promoted humification, with PB enhancing carboxyl and polysaccharide formation, while AB encouraged quinone and aryl ether structures. These surface functional groups on the biochar likely contributed to heavy metals and phosphorus binding through chelation, adsorption, and electron shuttling., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We compared the ability of one emergent (Sagittaria montevidensis), two floating (Salvinia minima and Lemna gibba), and one heterophyllous species (Myriophyllum aquaticum) to simultaneously remove sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, levofloxacin, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, doxycycline, azithromycin, amoxicillin, and meropenem from wastewater in a mesocosm-scale constructed wetland over 28 days. Antibiotic concentrations in plants and effluent were analyzed using an LC-MS/MS to assess the removal rates and phytoremediation capacities. M. aquaticum did not effectively mitigate contamination due to poor tolerance and survival in effluent conditions. S. minima and L. gibba demonstrated superior efficiency, reducing the antibiotic concentrations to undetectable levels within 14 days, while S. montevidensis achieved this result by day 28. Floating macrophytes emerge as the preferable choice for remediation of antibiotics compared to emergent and heterophyllous species. Antibiotics were detected in plant tissues at concentrations ranging from 0.32 to 29.32 ng g -1 fresh weight, highlighting macrophytes' ability to uptake and accumulate these contaminants. Conversely, non-planted systems exhibited a maximum removal rate of 65%, underscoring the persistence of these molecules in natural environments, even after the entire experimental period. Additionally, macrophytes improved effluent quality regardless of species by reducing total soluble solids and phosphate concentrations and mitigating ecotoxicological effects. This study underscores the potential of using macrophytes in wastewater treatment plants to enhance overall efficiency and prevent environmental contamination by antibiotics, thereby mitigating the harmful impact on biota and antibiotic resistance. Selecting appropriate plant species is crucial for successful phytoremediation in constructed wetlands, and actual implementation is essential to validate their effectiveness and practical applicability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The combined pollution of microplastics and heavy metals is becoming increasingly serious, and its effects on toxicology and heavy metal accumulation of plants are closely related to crop yield and population health. Here, we collected 57 studies to investigate the effect of microplastics on heavy metal accumulation in plants and their combined toxicity. An assessment was conducted to discover the primary pollutant responsible for the toxicity of combined pollution on plants. The study examined the influence of microplastic characteristics, heavy metal characteristics, and experimental methods on this pollutant. The results showed that combined toxicity of plants was more similar to heavy metals, whereas microplastics interacted with heavy metals mainly by inducing oxidative stress damage. Culture environment, heavy metal type, experimental duration, microplastic concentration and microplastic size were the main factors affecting heavy metal accumulation in plants. There was a negative correlation between experimental duration, microplastic concentration and microplastic size with heavy metal accumulation in plants. The interactions among influencing factors were found, and microplastic biodegradation was the core factor of the strong interaction. These results provided comprehensive insights and guiding strategies for environmental and public health risks caused by the combined pollution of microplastics and heavy metals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Berberine bridge enzyme-like oxidases are often involved in natural product biosynthesis and are seen as essential enzymes for the generation of intricate pharmacophores. These oxidases have the ability to transfer a hydride atom to the FAD cofactor, which enables complex substrate modifications and rearrangements including (intramolecular) cyclizations, carbon-carbon bond formations, and nucleophilic additions. Despite the diverse range of activities, the mechanistic details of these reactions often remain incompletely understood. In this Review, we delve into the complexity that BBE-like oxidases from bacteria, fungal, and plant origins exhibit by providing an overview of the shared catalytic features and emphasizing the different reactivities. We propose four generalized modes of action by which BBE-like oxidases enable the synthesis of natural products, ranging from the classic alcohol oxidation reactions to less common amine and amide oxidation reactions. Exploring the mechanisms utilized by nature to produce its vast array of natural products is a subject of considerable interest and can lead to the discovery of unique biochemical activities.

Proteolysis, including post-translational proteolytic processing as well as protein degradation and amino acid recycling, is an essential component of the growth and development of living organisms. In this article, experts in plant proteolysis pose and discuss compelling open questions in their areas of research. Topics covered include the role of proteolysis in the cell cycle, DNA damage response, mitochondrial function, the generation of N-terminal signals (degrons) that mark many proteins for degradation (N-terminal acetylation, the Arg/N-degron pathway, and the chloroplast N-degron pathway), developmental and metabolic signaling (photomorphogenesis, abscisic acid and strigolactone signaling, sugar metabolism, and postharvest regulation), plant responses to environmental signals (endoplasmic-reticulum-associated degradation, chloroplast-associated degradation, drought tolerance, and the growth-defense trade-off), and the functional diversification of peptidases. We hope these thought-provoking discussions help to stimulate further research., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

SUMO modification is part of the spectrum of Ubiquitin-like (UBL) systems that give rise to proteoform complexity through post-translational modifications (PTMs). Proteoforms are essential modifiers of cell signaling for plant adaptation to changing environments. Exploration of the evolutionary emergence of Ubiquitin-like (UBL) systems unveils their origin from prokaryotes, where it is linked to the mechanisms that enable sulfur uptake into biomolecules. We explore the emergence of the SUMO machinery across the plant lineage from single-cell to land plants. We reveal the evolutionary point at which plants acquired the ability to form SUMO chains through the emergence of SUMO E4 ligases, hinting at its role in facilitating multicellularity. Additionally, we explore the possible mechanism for the neofunctionalization of SUMO proteases through the fusion of conserved catalytic domains with divergent sequences. We highlight the pivotal role of SUMO proteases in plant development and adaptation, offering new insights into target specificity mechanisms of SUMO modification during plant evolution. Correlating the emergence of adaptive traits in the plant lineage with established experimental evidence for SUMO in developmental processes, we propose that SUMO modification has evolved to link developmental processes to adaptive functions in land plants., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Proteome composition is dynamic and influenced by many internal and external cues, including developmental signals, light availability, or environmental stresses. Protein degradation, in synergy with protein biosynthesis, allows cells to respond to various stimuli and adapt by reshaping the proteome. Protein degradation mediates the final and irreversible disassembly of proteins, which is important for protein quality control and to eliminate misfolded or damaged proteins, as well as entire organelles. Consequently, it contributes to cell resilience by buffering against protein or organellar damage caused by stresses. Moreover, protein degradation plays important roles in cell signaling, as well as transcriptional and translational events. The intricate task of recognizing specific proteins for degradation is achieved by specialized systems that are tailored to the substrate's physicochemical properties and subcellular localization. These systems recognize diverse substrate cues collectively referred to as "degrons," which can assume a range of configurations. They are molecular surfaces recognized by E3 ligases of the ubiquitin-proteasome system but can also be considered as general features recognized by other degradation systems, including autophagy or even organellar proteases. Here we provide an overview of the newest developments in the field, delving into the intricate processes of protein recognition and elucidating the pathways through which they are recruited for degradation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared.

Studies in plants were often pioneering in the field of RNA silencing and revealed a broad range of small RNA (sRNA) categories. When associated with ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins, sRNAs play important functions in development, genome integrity, stress responses, and antiviral immunity. Today, most of the protein factors required for the biogenesis of sRNA classes, their amplification through the production of double-stranded RNA, and their function in transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation have been identified. Nevertheless, and despite the importance of RNA silencing, we still know very little about their posttranslational regulation. This is in stark contrast with studies in metazoans, where different modifications such as prolyl hydroxylation, phosphorylation, sumoylation, ubiquitylation, and others have been reported to alter the activity and stability of key factors, such as AGO proteins. Here, we review current knowledge of how key components of the RNA silencing machinery in plants are regulated during development and by microbial hijacking of endogenous proteases., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Plants continuously remodel and degrade their organelles due to damage from their metabolic activities and environmental stressors, as well as an integral part of their cell differentiation programs. Whereas certain organelles use local hydrolytic enzymes for limited remodeling, most of the pathways that control the partial or complete dismantling of organelles rely on vacuolar degradation. Specifically, selective autophagic pathways play a crucial role in recognizing and sorting plant organelle cargo for vacuolar clearance, especially under cellular stress conditions induced by factors like heat, drought, and damaging light. In these short reviews, we discuss the mechanisms that control the vacuolar degradation of chloroplasts, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and peroxisomes, with an emphasis on autophagy, recently discovered selective autophagy receptors for plant organelles, and crosstalk with other catabolic pathways., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Plants and insects have co-existed for almost 400 million years and their interactions can be beneficial or harmful, thus reflecting their intricate co-evolutionary dynamics. Many herbivorous arthropods cause tremendous crop loss, impacting the agro-economy worldwide. Plants possess an arsenal of chemical defenses that comprise diverse secondary metabolites that help protect against harmful herbivorous arthropods. In response, the strategies that herbivores use to cope with plant defenses can be behavioral, or molecular and/or biochemical of which salivary secretions are a key determinant. Insect salivary secretions/oral secretions (OSs) play a crucial role in plant immunity as they contain several biologically active elicitors and effector proteins that modulate plants' defense responses. Using this oral secretion cocktail, insects overcome plant natural defenses to allow successful feeding. However, a lack of knowledge of the nature of the signals present in oral secretion cocktails has resulted in reduced mechanistic knowledge of their cellular perception. In this review, we discuss the latest knowledge on herbivore oral secretion derived elicitors and effectors and various mechanisms involved in plant defense modulation. Identification of novel herbivore-released molecules and their plant targets should pave the way for understanding the intricate strategies employed by both herbivorous arthropods and plants in their interactions., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Portable X-ray Fluorescence probe (pXRF) is a tool used to measure many elements quickly and efficiently in soil with minimal sample preparation. Although this sensing technique has been widely used to determine total elemental concentrations, it has not been calibrated for plant-available nutrient predictions. We evaluated the potential of using pXRF for fast plant-available nutrient quantification. Two experiments were conducted in soils treated with two types of biochars to obtain a practical range of soil pH (5.5 - 8.0) and organic carbon (2.0 - 5.5%). Biochars applied were derived from switchgrass (SGB) and poultry litter (PLB). The first experiment received biochars at application rates up to 8% (w/w) and had no plants. The second experiment had up to 4% of SGB or PLB planted with ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Linear regression (LR), polynomial regression (PolR), power regression (PowR), and stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) were the models tested. Regardless of the extraction method, phosphorus (P) showed a strong relationship between pXRF and several laboratory extraction methods; however, K prediction via pXRF was sensitive to the plant factor. The optimum soil available-P corresponding to the maximum P uptake in plant tissues can be assessed with pXRF. The LR was inconsistent for calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and copper (Cu) and non-significant for magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Our results showed that pXRF is applicable to estimate P availability in soils receiving organic amendments. More evaluations are needed with diverse soil types to confirm the findings before using pXRF for fertilizer recommendation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Noncanonical peptides (NCPs) are a class of peptides generated from regions previously thought of as noncoding, such as introns, 5' UTRs, 3' UTRs, and intergenic regions. In recent years, the significance and diverse functions of NCPs have come to light, yet a systematic and comprehensive NCP database remains absent. Here, we developed NCPbook (https://ncp.wiki/ncpbook/), a database of evidence-supported NCPs, which aims to provide a resource for efficient exploration, analysis, and manipulation of NCPs. NCPbook incorporates data from diverse public databases and scientific literature. The current version of NCPbook includes 180,676 NCPs across 29 different species, evidenced by MS, ribosome profiling, or molecular experiments. These NCPs are distributed across kingdoms, comprising 123,408 from 14 plant species, 56,999 from 7 animal species, and 269 from 8 microbial species. Furthermore, NCPbook encompasses 9,166 functionally characterized NCPs playing important roles in immunity, stress resistance, growth, and development. Equipped with a user-friendly interface, NCPbook allows users to search, browse, visualize, and retrieve data, making it an indispensable platform for researching NCPs in various plant, animal, and microbial species., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

To understand how nutrient cycling and sequestration are influenced by different grazing periods, the C:N:P stoichiometry features of the plant-soil interface in the desert steppe were measured and evaluated. The 5-year seasonal grazing experiment employed four grazing period treatments: traditional time of grazing (TG), early termination of grazing (EG), delayed start of grazing (DG), and delayed start and early termination of grazing (DEG). Additionally, fenced off desert steppe served as the control. The grazing periods each had a differing impact on the C:N:P stoichiometry in both plant functional group and soil depth comparisons. Compared to the EG, DG, and DEG treatments, the TG treatment had a more significant impact on the C, N, and P pools of grass, as well as the C:P and N:P ratios of forbs, but had a reduced effect on the C:P and N:P ratios of legumes. In contrast to plants, the DG treatment exhibited greater advantages in increasing C pools within the 0-40 cm soil layer. Furthermore, in the 10-20 cm soil layer, the C:P and N:P ratios under the EG treatment were significantly higher, ranging from 8.88% to 53.41% and 72.34%-121.79%, respectively, compared to the other treatments (TG, DG, and DGE). The primary drivers of the C, N, and P pools during different grazing periods were above-ground biomass (AGB) and litter biomass (LB). Both lowering the plant C:P and N:P ratios and considerably raising the plant P pool during different grazing periods greatly weakened the P limitation of the desert steppe environment. It is predicted that delayed start grazing might be a management strategy for long-term ecosystem sustainability, as it regulates above-ground nutrient allocation and has a positive effect on soil C and N pools., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Zhuo liu reports financial support was provided by Ningxia University. Zhuo Liu reports financial support was provided by Ningxia University. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.32060406), the Nation Guide Local Science and Technology Development Projects of Ningxia Province (No.2023FRD05035), the Ningxia Key Research and Development Program (No.2020BBF02003), the Ningxia Science and Technology Innovation Leader Training Project (No.KJT2018003), and the First-class Discipline Construction Project (Grassland Science Discipline) for the high school in Ningxia (No. NXYLXK 2017A01), (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Evolutionary emergence of specialised vascular tissues has enabled plants to coordinate their growth and adjust to unfavourable external conditions. Whilst holding a pivotal role in long-distance transport, both xylem and phloem can be encroached on by various biotic factors for systemic invasion and hijacking of nutrients. Therefore, a complete understanding of the strategies deployed by plants against such pathogens to restrict their entry and establishment within plant tissues, is of key importance for the future development of disease-tolerant crops. In this review, we aim to describe how microorganisms exploit the plant vascular system as a route for gaining access and control of different host tissues and metabolic pathways. Highlighting several biological examples, we detail the wide range of host responses triggered to prevent or hinder vascular colonisation and effectively minimise damage upon biotic invasions., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Plants, as a sessile organism, produce various secondary metabolites to interact with the environment. These chemicals have fascinated the plant science community because of their ecological significance and notable biological activity. However, predicting the complete biosynthetic pathways from target molecules to metabolic building blocks remains a challenge. Here, we propose retrieval-augmented dual-view retrosynthesis (READRetro) as a practical bio-retrosynthesis tool to predict the biosynthetic pathways of plant natural products. Conventional bio-retrosynthesis models have been limited in their ability to predict biosynthetic pathways for natural products. READRetro was optimized for the prediction of complex metabolic pathways by incorporating cutting-edge deep learning architectures, an ensemble approach, and two retrievers. Evaluation of single- and multi-step retrosynthesis showed that each component of READRetro significantly improved its ability to predict biosynthetic pathways. READRetro was also able to propose the known pathways of secondary metabolites such as monoterpene indole alkaloids and the unknown pathway of menisdaurilide, demonstrating its applicability to real-world bio-retrosynthesis of plant natural products. For researchers interested in the biosynthesis and production of secondary metabolites, a user-friendly website (https://readretro.net) and the open-source code of READRetro have been made available., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Rare earth elements (REEs) have attracted much attention because of their unique physical and chemical properties. The root system is the plant organ most directly in contact with REEs, and it is critical to understand the mechanisms of interaction between the two. This paper investigates the effects of REEs on plant enrichment and fractionation, as well as on various developmental and toxicity indices of the root system. REEs are more likely to be deposited on the root surface under the influence of root secretion. The complexation between the two affects the uptake and fractionation of REEs and the altered pattern of root secretion. The toxicity mechanisms of REEs on plant root cells were lied in: (1) REEs generate reactive oxygen species after entering the plant, leading to oxidative stress and damage to plant cells; (2) REEs with higher charge-to-volume ratios compete for organic ligands with or displace Ca 2+ , further disrupting the normal function of plant root cells. It was shown that the sensitivity of inter-root microorganisms to REEs varied depending on the content and physicochemical properties of REEs. The paper also concluded with a meta-analysis of phytotoxicity induced by REEs, which showed that REEs affect plant physiological parameters. REEs, as a source of oxidative stress, triggered lipid peroxidation damage in plants and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, thus revealing the significant toxicity of REEs to plants. The phytotoxic effects of REEs increased with time and concentration. These results help to elucidate the ecotoxicology of rare earth-induced phytotoxicity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) protein, named for its LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB) domain, is a member of a class of specific transcription factors commonly found in plants and is absent from all other groups of organisms. LBD TFs have been systematically identified in about 35 plant species and are involved in regulating various aspects of plant growth and development. However, research on the signaling network and regulatory functions of LBD TFs is insufficient, and only a few members have been studied. Moreover, a comprehensive review of these existing studies is lacking. In this review, the structure, regulatory mechanism and function of LBD TFs in recent years were reviewed in order to better understand the role of LBD TFs in plant growth and development, and to provide a new perspective for the follow-up study of LBD TFs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Process affected water and other industrial wastewaters are a major environmental concern. During oil sands mining, large amounts of oil sands process affected water (OSPW) are generated and stored in ponds until reclaimed and ready for surface water discharge. While much research has focused on organics in process waters, trace metals at high concentrations may also pose environmental risks. Phytoremediation is a cost effective and sustainable approach that employs plants to extract and reduce contaminants in water. The research was undertaken in mesocosm scale constructed wetlands with plants exposed to OSPW for 60 days. The objective was to screen seven native emergent wetland species for their ability to tolerate high metal concentrations (arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, copper, nickel, selenium, zinc), and then to evaluate the best performing species for OSPW phytoremediation. All native plant species, except Glyceria grandis, tolerated and grew in OSPW. Carex aquatilis (water sedge), Juncus balticus (baltic rush), and Typha latifolia (cattail) had highest survival and growth, and had high metal removal efficiencies for arsenic (81-87 %), chromium (78-86 %), and cadmium (74-84 %), relative to other metals; and greater than 91 % of the dissolved portions were removed. The native plant species were efficient accumulators of all metals, as demonstrated by high root and shoot bioaccumulation factors; root accumulation was greater than shoot accumulation. Translocation factor values were greater than one for Juncus balticus (chromium, zinc) and Carex aquatilis (cadmium, chromium, cobalt, nickel). The results demonstrate the potential suitability of these species for phytoremediation of a number of metals of concern and could provide an effective and environmentally sound remediation approach for wastewaters., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Flowering time is a crucial developmental stage in the life cycle of plants, as it determines the reproductive success and overall fitness of the organism. The precise regulation of flowering time is influenced by various internal and external factors, including genetic, environmental, and hormonal cues. This review provided a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms and regulatory pathways of biological macromolecules (e.g. proteins and phytohormone) and environmental factors (e.g. light and temperature) involved in the control of flowering time in plants. We discussed the key proteins and signaling pathways that govern the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development, highlighting the intricate interplay between genetic networks, environmental cues, and phytohormone signaling. Additionally, we explored the impact of flowering time regulation on plant adaptation, crop productivity, and agricultural practices. Moreover, we summarized the similarities and differences of flowering mechanisms between annual and perennial plants. Understanding the mechanisms underlying flowering time control is not only essential for fundamental plant biology research but also holds great potential for crop improvement and sustainable agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The cell wall serves as the primary barrier against the entry of heavy metal ions into cells. However, excessive accumulation of heavy metals within plants can lead to alterations in the spatial structure and physical properties of the cell wall, thereby affecting the capacity of plants to capture heavy metals. Proline (Pro) is involved in the synthesis of the cell wall, modulating the stability and integrity of its structure. Extensins, core proteins that maintain the cell wall structure, are proline/hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins that contain the characteristic sequence Ser-[Pro] 3-5 . They act as intermediates in the regulation of biological processes such as cell wall synthesis, assembly, and signal transduction, typically forming a network structure of cell wall proteins through cross-linking with pectin. This network is essential for the self-assembly expansion of the plant cell wall and plays an indispensable role in cell wall stress signal transduction through its interaction with intracellular signalling molecules. However, the mechanisms by which Pro affects the synthesis of cell wall structural proteins, cell wall assembly, and the sensing of cell wall stress under heavy metal stress remain unclear. This review, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular biology, comprehensively elaborates on the impact of Pro and Pro-rich proteins on the structure and function of the cell wall. These findings emphasize the mechanism by which Pro enhances the ability of the cell wall to capture heavy metals, providing new research ideas for the use of genetic engineering to manipulate cell wall synthesis and repair, thereby reducing the phytotoxicity of heavy metals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has become increasingly popular in plant science due to its ability to characterize complex chemical, spatial, and temporal aspects of plant metabolism. Over the past decade, as the emerging and unique features of various MSI techniques have continued to support new discoveries in studies of plant metabolism closely associated with various aspects of plant function and physiology, spatial metabolomics based on MSI techniques has positioned it at the forefront of plant metabolic studies, providing the opportunity for far higher resolution than was previously available. Despite these efforts, profound challenges at the levels of spatial resolution, sensitivity, quantitative ability, chemical confidence, isomer discrimination, and spatial multi-omics integration, undoubtedly remain. In this Perspective, we provide a contemporary overview of the emergent MSI techniques widely used in the plant sciences, with particular emphasis on recent advances in methodological breakthroughs. Having established the detailed context of MSI, we outline both the golden opportunities and key challenges currently facing plant metabolomics, presenting our vision as to how the enormous potential of MSI technologies will contribute to progress in plant science in the coming years., (© 2024 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In plants, nitric oxide (NO) has become a versatile signaling molecule essential for mediating a wide range of physiological processes under various biotic and abiotic stress conditions. The fundamental function of NO under various stress scenarios has led to a paradigm shift in which NO is now seen as both a free radical liberated from the toxic product of oxidative metabolism and an agent that aids in plant sustenance. Numerous studies on NO biology have shown that NO is an important signal for germination, leaf senescence, photosynthesis, plant growth, pollen growth, and other processes. It is implicated in defense responses against pathogensas well as adaptation of plants in response to environmental cues like salinity, drought, and temperature extremes which demonstrates its multifaceted role. NO can carry out its biological action in a variety of ways, including interaction with protein kinases, modifying gene expression, and releasing secondary messengers. In addition to these signaling events, NO may also be in charge of the chromatin modifications, nitration, and S-nitrosylation-induced posttranslational modifications (PTM) of target proteins. Deciphering the molecular mechanism behind its essential function is essential to unravel the regulatory networks controlling the responses of plants to various environmental stimuli. Taking into consideration the versatile role of NO, an effort has been made to interpret its mode of action based on the post-translational modifications and to cover shreds of evidence for increased growth parameters along with an altered gene expression., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors do not have any kind of financial or non-financial conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The primary mechanisms contributing to nitrogen (N) addition induced grassland biodiversity loss, namely light competition and soil cation toxicity, are often examined separately in various studies. However, their relative significance in governing biodiversity loss along N addition gradient remains unclear. We conducted a 4-yr field experiment with five N addition rates (0, 2, 10, 20, and 50 g N m -2  yr -1 ) and performed a meta-analysis using global data from 239 observations in N-fertilized grassland ecosystems. Results from our field experiment and meta-analysis indicate that both light competition and soil cation (e.g. Mn 2+ and Al 3+ ) toxicity contribute to plant diversity loss under N enrichment. The relative importance of these mechanisms varied with N enrichment intensity. Light competition played a more significant role in influencing species richness under low N addition (≤ 10 g m -2  yr -1 ), while cation toxicity became increasingly dominant in reducing biodiversity under high N addition (>10 g m -2  yr -1 ). Therefore, a transition from light competition to cation toxicity occurs with increasing N availability. These findings imply that the biodiversity loss along the N gradient is regulated by distinct mechanisms, necessitating the adoption of differential management strategies to mitigate diversity loss under varying intensities of N enrichment., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Extraction of coal through opencast mining leads to the buildup of heaps of overburden (OB) material, which poses a significant risk to production safety and environmental stability. A systematic bibliometric analysis to identify research trends and gaps, and evaluate the impact of studies and authors in the field related to coal OB phytostabilization was conducted. Key issues associated with coal extraction include land degradation, surface and groundwater contamination, slope instability, erosion and biodiversity loss. Handling coal OB material intensifies such issues, initiating additional environmental and physical challenges. The conventional approach such as topsoiling for OB restoration fails to restore essential soil properties crucial for sustainable vegetation cover. Phytostabilization approach involves establishing a self-sustaining plant cover over OB dump surfaces emerges as a viable strategy for OB restoration. This method enhanced by the supplement of organic amendments boosts the restoration of OB dumps by improving rhizosphere properties conducive to plant growth and contaminant uptake. Criteria essential for plant selection in phytostabilization are critically evaluated. Native plant species adapted to local climatic and ecological conditions are identified as key agents in stabilizing contaminants, reducing soil erosion, and enhancing ecosystem functions. Applicable case studies of successful phytostabilization of coal mines using native plants, offering practical recommendations for species selection in coal mine reclamation projects are provided. This review contributes to sustainable approaches for mitigating the environmental consequences of coal mining and facilitates the ecological recovery of degraded landscapes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

With the advent of transcriptomic techniques involving single-stranded RNA sequencing and chromatin isolation by RNA purification-based sequencing, transcriptomic studies of coding and non-coding RNAs have been executed efficiently. These studies acknowledged the role of non-coding RNAs in modulating gene expression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a kind of non-coding RNAs having lengths of >200 nucleotides, playing numerous roles in plant developmental processes such as photomorphogenesis, epigenetic changes, reproductive tissue development, and in regulating biotic and abiotic stresses. Epigenetic changes further control gene expression by changing their state to "ON-OFF" and also regulate stress memory and its transgenerational inheritance. With well-established regulatory mechanisms, they act as guides, scaffolds, signals, and decoys to modulate gene expression. They act as a major operator of post-transcriptional modifications such as histone and epigenetic modifications, and DNA methylations. The review elaborates on the roles of lncRNAs in plant immunity and also discusses how epigenetic markers alter gene expression in response to pest/pathogen attack and influences chromatin-associated stress memory as well as transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic imprints in plants. The review further summarizes some research studies on how histone modifications and DNA methylations resist pathogenic and pest attacks by activating defense-related genes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing/financial/any other interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Abiotic stress such as salt, heavy metals, drought, temperature, and others can affect plants from seed germination to seedling growth to reproductive maturity. Abiotic stress increases reactive oxygen species and lowers antioxidant enzymes in plants resulted the plant tolerance ability against stress conditions decrease. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) and nitric oxide (NO) are important gasotransmitters involved in seed germination, photosynthesis, growth and development, metabolism, different physiological processes and functions in plants. In plants, various enzymes are responsible for the biosynthesis of both H 2 S and NO via both enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways. They also mediate post-translation modification, such as persulfidation, and nitrosylation, which are protective mechanisms against oxidative damage. They also regulate some cellular signalling pathways in response to various abiotic stress. H 2 S and NO also stimulate biochemical reactions in plants, including cytosolic osmoprotectant accumulation, reactive oxygen species regulation, antioxidant system activation, K + uptake, and Na + cell extrusion or vacuolar compartmentation. In this review, we summarize how H 2 S and NO interact with each other, the function of both H 2 S and NO, the mechanism of biosynthesis, and post-translational modification under different abiotic stress. Our main emphasis was to find the cross-talk between NO and H 2 S and how they regulate genes in plants under abiotic stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare there is NO conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The secondary plant metabolites are of enormous importance because of their extensive medicinal, nutraceutical, and industrial applications. In plants, these secondary metabolites are often found in extremely small amounts, therefore, following the discovery of any prospective metabolite, the main constraining element is the ability to generate enough material for use in both industrial and therapeutic settings. In order to satisfy the rising demand for value-added metabolites, researchers prefer to use different molecular approaches for scalable and sustainable production of these phytocompounds. Here, we discuss the emerging regulatory trends in engineering these bioactive-phytocompounds and provide recommendation on successful employment of these state-of-the-art technologies for translation of these academic researches into novel process and products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Agriculture and global food security encounter significant challenges due to viral threats. In the following decades, several molecular studies have focused on discovering biosynthetic pathways of numerous defensive and signaling compounds, as key regulators of plant interactions, either with viruses or their associated vectors. Nevertheless, the complexities of specialized metabolites mediated plant-virus-vector tripartite viewpoint and the identification of their co-evolutionary crossroads toward antiviral defense system, remain elusive. The current study reviews the various roles of plant-specialized metabolites (PSMs) and how plants use these metabolites to defend against viruses. It discusses recent examples of specialized metabolites that have broad-spectrum antiviral properties. Additionally, the study presents the co-evolutionary basis of metabolite-mediated plant-virus-insect interactions as a potential bioinspired approach to combat viral threats. The prospects also show promising metabolic engineering strategies aimed at discovering a wide range of PSMs that are effective in fending off viruses and their related vectors. These advances in understanding the potential role of PSMs in plant-virus interactions not only serve as a cornerstone for developing plant antiviral systems, but also highlight essential principles of biological control., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The reduction in crop yield caused by pathogens and pests presents a significant challenge to global food security. Genetic engineering, which aims to bolster plant defence mechanisms, emerges as a cost-effective solution for disease control. However, this approach often incurs a growth penalty, known as the growth-defence trade-off. The precise molecular mechanisms governing this phenomenon are still not completely understood, but they generally fall under two main hypotheses: a "passive" redistribution of metabolic resources, or an "active" regulatory choice to optimize plant fitness. Despite the knowledge gaps, considerable practical endeavours are in the process of disentangling growth from defence. The plant microbiome, encompassing both above- and below-ground components, plays a pivotal role in fostering plant growth and resilience to stresses. There is increasing evidence which indicates that plants maintain intimate associations with diverse, specifically selected microbial communities. Meta-analyses have unveiled well-coordinated, two-way communications between plant shoots and roots, showcasing the capacity of plants to actively manage their microbiota for balancing growth with immunity, especially in response to pathogen incursions. This review centers on successes in making use of specific root-associated microbes to mitigate the growth-defence trade-off, emphasizing pivotal advancements in unravelling the mechanisms behind plant growth and defence. These findings illuminate promising avenues for future research and practical applications., (© 2024 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Terrestrial water fluxes are substantially mediated by vegetation, while the distribution, growth, health, and mortality of plants are strongly influenced by the availability of water. These interactions, playing out across multiple spatial and temporal scales, link the disciplines of plant ecophysiology and ecohydrology. Despite this connection, the disciplines have provided complementary, but largely independent, perspectives on the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum since their crystallization as modern scientific disciplines in the late 20th century. This review traces the development of the two disciplines, from their respective origins in engineering and ecology, their largely independent growth and maturation, and the eventual development of common conceptual and quantitative frameworks. This common ground has allowed explicit coupling of the disciplines to better understand plant function. Case studies both illuminate the limitations of the disciplines working in isolation, and reveal the exciting possibilities created by consilience between the disciplines. The histories of the two disciplines suggest opportunities for new advances will arise from sharing methodologies, working across multiple levels of complexity, and leveraging new observational technologies. Practically, these exchanges can be supported by creating shared scientific spaces. This review argues that consilience and collaboration are essential for robust and evidence-based predictions and policy responses under global change., (© 2024 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The elemental accumulation has emerged as a major environmental concern due to various anthropogenic sources such as vehicles, road dust, and industrial activities, contributing to the agglutination of elements to airborne Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM). SPM-bound elements accumulate on plant surfaces impact air quality and human health due to their noxiousness. Therefore, plants' ability to capture and mitigate air pollutants plays a crucial role in urban areas. This study aimed to investigate the levels and distribution of twenty-six elements, comprised of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu Zn, Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, Ag, Mo, V, Ga, and Bi), light metals (B, As, Te, and Se), and metalloids (Al, Li, Sr, K, Mg, Na, Ca, and Ba) accumulated on the surface and inside the leaves of dominant plant species during the pre-and post-monsoon at six categorized (commercial, traffic-prone, residential, educational, greenbelt and industrial areas) locations in Delhi, India. In addition, the Metal Accumulation Index (MAI) was determined, and the statistical analysis was conducted using two-way ANOVA, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). In the pre-and post-monsoon, two-way ANOVA revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) in metal concentrations. During the pre-monsoon plants exhibited the highest metal accumulation (∼21%) at the Anand Vihar (commercial) in Delhi, with the maximum average concentrations of Cr (118.25 mg/kg), Cu (204.38 mg/kg), Zn (293.27 mg/kg), and Fe (2721.17 mg/kg). Ficus benghalensis L exhibited the maximum 213.73 MAI at the Anand Vihar in the pre-monsoon. Ni and Cr indicated the highest correlation (P < 0.05, r = 0.82) in the PCA test. HCA test revealed similarity (∼87.7%) at ITO (traffic-prone) and Okhla Phase-2 (industrial) in F. religiosa regarding metal concentration patterns. Findings highlighted seasonal elemental pollutants uptake dynamics of plant species and explored species-specific metal accumulation, revealing potential implications of metal-tolerant plants for urban greenbelt., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Plants face a wide array of challenges in their environment, both from living organisms (biotic stresses) and non-living factors (abiotic stresses). Among the major abiotic stressors affecting crop plants, variations in temperature, water availability, salinity, and cold pose significant threats to crop yield and the quality of produce. Plants possess remarkable adaptability and resilience, and they employ a range of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms to respond and cope with abiotic stresses. A few crucial set of epigenetic mechanisms that support plants in their battle against these stresses includes DNA methylation and histone modifications. These mechanisms play a pivotal role in enabling plants to endure and thrive under challenging environmental conditions. The mechanisms of different epigenetic mechanisms in responding to the abiotic stresses vary. Each plant species and type of stress may trigger distinct epigenetic responses, highlighting the complexity of the plant's ability to adapt under stress conditions. This review focuses on the paramount importance of epigenetics in enhancing a plant's ability to survive and excel under various abiotic stresses. It highlights recent advancements in our understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to abiotic stress tolerance in plants. This growing knowledge is pivotal for shaping future efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of abiotic stresses on diverse crop plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors have no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Global climate change and high population growth rates lead to problems of food security and environmental pollution, which require new effective methods to increase yields and stress tolerance of important crops. Nowadays the question of using artificial chemicals is very relevant in theoretical and practical terms. It is important that such substances in low concentrations protect plants under stress conditions, but at the same time inflict minimal damage on the environment and human health. Nanotechnology, which allows the production of a wide range of nanomaterials (NM), provides novel techniques in this direction. NM include structures less than 100 nm. The review presents data on the methods of NM production, their properties, pathways for arrival in plants and their use in human life. It is shown that NM, due to their unique physical and chemical properties, can cross biological barriers and accumulate in cells of live organisms. The influence of NM on plant organism can be both positive and negative, depending on the NM chemical nature, their size and dose, the object of study, and the environmental conditions. This review provides a comparative analysis of the effect of artificial metal nanoparticles (NPm), the commonly employed NMs in plant physiology, on two important aspects of plant life: photosynthetic apparatus activity and antioxidant system function. According to studies, NM affect not only the functional activity of photosynthetic apparatus, but also structural organization of chloroplats. In addition, the literature analysis reflects the dual action of NM on oxidative processes, and antioxidant status of plants. These facts considerably complicate the ideas about possible mechanisms and further use of NPm in biology. In this regard, data on the effects of NM on plants under abiotic stressors are of great interest. Separate section is devoted to the use of NM as adaptogens that increase plant stress tolerance to unfavorable temperatures. Possible mechanisms of NM effects on plants are discussed, as well as the strategies for their further use in basic science and sustainable agriculture., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lipids have evolved as versatile signaling molecules that regulate a variety of physiological processes in plants. Convincing evidence highlights their critical role as mediators in a wide range of plant processes required for survival, growth, development, and responses to environmental conditions such as water availability, temperature changes, salt, pests, and diseases. Understanding lipid signaling as a critical process has helped us expand our understanding of plant biology by explaining how plants sense and respond to environmental cues. Lipid signaling pathways constitute a complex network of lipids, enzymes, and receptors that coordinate important cellular responses and stressing plant biology's changing and adaptable traits. Plant lipid signaling involves a wide range of lipid classes, including phospholipids, sphingolipids, oxylipins, and sterols, each of which contributes differently to cellular communication and control. These lipids function not only as structural components, but also as bioactive molecules that transfer signals. The mechanisms entail the production of lipid mediators and their detection by particular receptors, which frequently trigger downstream cascades that affect gene expression, cellular functions, and overall plant growth. This review looks into lipid signaling in plant physiology, giving an in-depth look and emphasizing its critical function as a master regulator of vital activities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Laticifers have been utilized as paradigms to enhance comprehension of specific facets of plant ecology and evolution. From the beginning of seedling growth, autonomous laticifer networks are formed throughout the plant structure, extending across all tissues and organs. The vast majority of identified products resulting from laticifer chemistry and metabolism are linked to plant defense. The latex, which is the fluid contained within laticifers, is maintained under pressure and has evolved to serve as a defense mechanism against both aggressors and invaders, irrespective of their capabilities or tactics. Remarkably, the latex composition varies among different species. The current goal is to understand the specific functions of various latex components in combating plant enemies. Therefore, the study of latex's chemical composition and proteome plays a critical role in advancing our understanding about plant defense mechanisms. Here, we will discuss some of these aspects., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Many nonhuman primate diets are dominated by plant foods, yet plant tissues are often poor sources of sodium-a necessary mineral for metabolism and health. Among primates, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), which are ripe fruit specialists, consume diverse animal, and plant resources. Insects have been proposed as a source of dietary sodium for chimpanzees, yet published data on sodium values for specific foods are limited. We assayed plants and insects commonly eaten by chimpanzees to assess their relative value as sodium sources., Materials and Methods: We used atomic absorption spectroscopy to determine sodium content of key plant foods and insects consumed by chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Dietary contributions of plant and insect foods were calculated using feeding observational data., Results: On a dry matter basis, mean sodium value of plant foods (n = 83 samples; mean = 86 ppm, SD = 92 ppm) was significantly lower than insects (n = 12; mean = 1549 ppm, SD = 807 ppm) (Wilcoxon rank sum test: W = 975, p < 0.001). All plant values were below the suggested sodium requirement (2000 ppm) for captive primates. While values of assayed insects were variable, sodium content of two commonly consumed insect prey for Gombe chimpanzees (Macrotermes soldiers and Dorylus ants) were four to five times greater than the highest plant values and likely meet requirements., Discussion: We conclude that plant foods available to Gombe chimpanzees are generally poor sources of sodium while insects are important, perhaps critical, sources of sodium for this population., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Plastic pollution presents a global challenge, impacting ecosystems, wildlife, and economies. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), widely used in products like bottles, significantly contributes to this issue due to poor waste collection. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in plant biomass-degrading enzymes for plastic breakdown, due to the structural and physicochemical similarities between natural and synthetic polymers. Filamentous fungi involved in hemicellulose degradation have developed a complex mode of action that includes not only enzymes but also biosurfactants; surface-active molecules that facilitate enzyme-substrate interactions. For this reason, this study aimed to mimic the mechanism of biomass degradation by repurposing plant cell wall degrading enzymes including a cutinase and three esterases to cooperatively contribute to PET degradation. Surfactants of different charge were also introduced in the reactions, as their role is similar to biosurfactants, altering the surface tension of the polymers and thus improving enzymes' accessibility. Notably, Fusarium oxysporum cutinase combined with anionic surfactant exhibited a 2.3- and 1.6-fold higher efficacy in hydrolyzing amorphous and semi-crystalline PET, respectively. When cutinase was combined with either of two ferulic acid esterases, it resulted in complete conversion of PET intermediate products to TPA, increasing the overall product release up to 1.9- fold in presence of surfactant. The combination of cutinase with a glucuronoyl esterase demonstrated significant potential in plastic depolymerization, increasing degradation yields in semi-crystalline PET by up to 1.4-fold. The approach of incorporating enzyme cocktails and surfactants emerge as an efficient solution for PET degradation in mild reaction conditions, with potential applications in eco-friendly plastic waste management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Global climate change is affecting plant photosynthesis and transpiration processes, as well as increasing weather extremes impacting socio-political and environmental events and decisions for decades to come. One major research challenge in plant biology and ecology is the interaction of photosynthesis with the environment. Stomata control plant gas exchange and their evolution was a crucial innovation that facilitated the earliest land plants to colonize terrestrial environments. Stomata couple homoiohydry, together with cuticles, intercellular gas space, with the endohydric water-conducting system, enabling plants to adapt and diversify across the planet. Plants control stomatal movement in response to environmental change through regulating guard cell turgor mediated by membrane transporters and signaling transduction. However, the origin, evolution, and active control of stomata remain controversial topics. We first review stomatal evolution and diversity, providing fossil and phylogenetic evidence of their origins. We summarize functional evolution of guard cell membrane transporters in the context of climate changes and environmental stresses. Our analyses show that the core signaling elements of stomatal movement are more ancient than stomata, while genes involved in stomatal development co-evolved de novo with the earliest stomata. These results suggest that novel stomatal development-specific genes were acquired during plant evolution, whereas genes regulating stomatal movement, especially cell signaling pathways, were inherited ancestrally and co-opted by dynamic functional differentiation. These two processes reflect the different adaptation strategies during land plant evolution., (© 2024 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A study was carried out to evaluate phytodiversity along with the metal accumulation potential of native plants growing in the vicinity of a thermal power plant (TPP). We documented 26 tree species, six shrubs, and 35 herbs. Importance value index (IVI), which measures the extent to which a species dominates in an area, was found highest for Senna siamea (95.7) followed by Tectona grandis (56.5), and Pithecellobium dulce (19.6). Soil was acidic (pH 5.4) in nature with higher concentrations of Al and Fe. The pH of ground water was found acidic while pH of nearby river was found slightly alkaline. Values of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were slightly higher than NAAQS standards for industrial areas. The concentration of metals was found higher in aquatic plants than in terrestrial plants. In general, herbs and shrubs showed more metal accumulation potential than trees. Our results suggest that Senna siamea could be used for revegetation purposes in FA landfills. Further, terrestrial and aquatic plants such as Ageratina adenophora and Stuckenia pectinata could be used for reclamation of Mn, Zn, Al, and Fe from contaminated soils. Hydrilla verticillata (Ni and Mn), Nelumbo nucifera , and Ipomoea aquatica (Cr) can be used for metal removal from contaminated water.

Gas exchange measurements enable mechanistic insights into the processes that underpin carbon and water fluxes in plant leaves which in turn inform understanding of related processes at a range of scales from individual cells to entire ecosytems. Given the importance of photosynthesis for the global climate discussion it is important to (a) foster a basic understanding of the fundamental principles underpinning the experimental methods used by the broad community, and (b) ensure best practice and correct data interpretation within the research community. In this review, we outline the biochemical and biophysical parameters of photosynthesis that can be investigated with gas exchange measurements and we provide step-by-step guidance on how to reliably measure them. We advise on best practices for using gas exchange equipment and highlight potential pitfalls in experimental design and data interpretation. The Supporting Information contains exemplary data sets, experimental protocols and data-modelling routines. This review is a community effort to equip both the experimental researcher and the data modeller with a solid understanding of the theoretical basis of gas-exchange measurements, the rationale behind different experimental protocols and the approaches to data interpretation., (© 2024 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)