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Special Issue "Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops"

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (9 May 2023) | Viewed by 7216

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lintong Yang

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Guest Editor

College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: Citrus; aluminum toxicity; phosphorus; boron; magnesium; alleviation; physiology; molecular mechanism

Prof. Dr. Lisong Chen

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Guest Editor

College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: Citrus; aluminum toxicity; copper toxicity, boron deficiency, boron toxicity; low pH; magnesium deficiency; manganese toxicity; mineral nutritional physiology and molecular biology of fruit crops

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable agriculture is currently both a challenge and a necessity for the increasing demand of the continually growing population. Suitable concentrations of nutrients, intensities of light radiation, moisture and temperature and fine management regimes are prerequisites that ensure suitable yields and a high quality of fruits. Due to their sessile nature, fruit crops undergo a myriad of abiotic and biotic stress stimuli during all of the development stages. Nevertheless, modification of physiological processes and morphogenesis plays important roles in the regulation of plant adaptation to exteral stimuli. A full comprehension of the complex mechanisms and processes that impact the growth of fruit crops and fruit production under environmental stresses will shed light on precision breeding and boost the management of fruit production practice.

This Special Issue entitled “Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops” will highlight recent progress in the physiological responses and underlying molecular mechanisms of fruit crops in response to environmental stresses including, but not limited to, mineral nutrient deficiencies and toxicities, osmotic stress, heavy metal stress, temperature stress and light stress, as well as strategies aiming at improving the stress tolerance of fruit crops and selecting resistant varieties through biomarker compound screening and resistance molecular breeding. This Special Issue attempts to cover all issues relating to studies of plant physiology, biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology in fruit crops in response to environmental stresses, as well as literature reviews of subjects related to this field.

Dr. Lintong Yang
Prof. Dr. Lisong Chen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

fruit tree
physiology
molecular biology
environmental stresses
nutrient disorder
modification
tolerance
detoxification

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Physiological and Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Potential Pathways and Specific Genes Involved in Waterlogging Tolerance in Apple Rootstocks

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9298; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119298 - 26 May 2023

Viewed by 202

Abstract

Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is one of the most cultivated fruit crops in China. Apple trees frequently encounter waterlogging stress, mainly due to excess rainfall, soil compaction, or poor soil drainage, results in yellowing leaves and declined fruit quality and yield in some regions. However, the mechanism underlying the response to waterlogging has not been well elucidated. Therefore, we performed a physiological and transcriptomic analysis to examine the differential responses of two apple rootstocks (waterlogging-tolerant M. hupehensis and waterlogging-sensitive M. toringoides) to waterlogging stress. The results showed that M. toringoides displayed more severe leaf chlorosis during the waterlogging treatment than M. hupehensis. Compared with M. hupehensis, the more severe leaf chlorosis induced by waterlogging stress in M. toringoides was highly correlated with increased electrolyte leakage and superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide accumulation, and increased stomata closure. Interestingly, M. toringoides also conveyed a higher ethylene production under waterlogging stress. Furthermore, RNA-seq revealed that a total of 13,913 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were differentially regulated between M. hupehensis and M. toringoides under waterlogging stress, especially those DEGs involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids and hormone signaling. This suggests a possible link of flavonoids and hormone signaling to waterlogging tolerance. Taken together, our data provide the targeted genes for further investigation of the functions, as well as for future molecular breeding of waterlogging-tolerant apple rootstocks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Effects of Drought and Flooding on Phytohormones and Abscisic Acid Gene Expression in Kiwifruit

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087580 - 20 Apr 2023

Viewed by 474

Abstract

Environmental extremes, such as drought and flooding, are becoming more common with global warming, resulting in significant crop losses. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the plant water stress response, regulated by the abscisic acid (ABA) pathway, is crucial to building resilience to climate change. Potted kiwifruit plants (two cultivars) were exposed to contrasting watering regimes (water logging and no water). Root and leaf tissues were sampled during the experiments to measure phytohormone levels and expression of ABA pathway genes. ABA increased significantly under drought conditions compared with the control and waterlogged plants. ABA-related gene responses were significantly greater in roots than leaves. ABA responsive genes, DREB2 and WRKY40, showed the greatest upregulation in roots with flooding, and the ABA biosynthesis gene, NCED3, with drought. Two ABA-catabolic genes, CYP707A i and ii were able to differentiate the water stress responses, with upregulation in flooding and downregulation in drought. This study has identified molecular markers and shown that water stress extremes induced strong phytohormone/ABA gene responses in the roots, which are the key site of water stress perception, supporting the theory kiwifruit plants regulate ABA to combat water stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Regulation of miR319b-Targeted SlTCP10 during the Tomato Response to Low-Potassium Stress

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7058; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087058 - 11 Apr 2023

Viewed by 414

Abstract

Potassium deficiency confines root growth and decreases root-to-shoot ratio, thereby limiting root K⁺ acquisition. This study aimed to identify the regulation network of microRNA319 involved in low-K⁺ stress tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). SlmiR319b-OE roots demonstrated a smaller root system, a lower number of root hairs and lower K⁺ content under low-K⁺ stress. We identified SlTCP10 as the target of miR319b using a modified RLM-RACE procedure from some SlTCPs’ predictive complementarity to miR319b. Then, SlTCP10-regulated SlJA2 (an NAC transcription factor) influenced the response to low-K⁺ stress. CR-SlJA2 (CRISPR-Cas9-SlJA2) lines showed the same root phenotype to SlmiR319-OE compared with WT lines. OE-SlJA2(Overexpression-SlJA2) lines showed higher root biomass, root hair number and K⁺ concentration in the roots under low-K⁺ conditions. Furthermore, SlJA2 has been reported to promote abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Therefore, SlJA2 increases low-K⁺ tolerance via ABA. In conclusion, enlarging root growth and K⁺ absorption by the expression of SlmiR319b-regulated SlTCP10, mediating SlJA2 in roots, could provide a new regulation mechanism for increasing K⁺ acquisition efficiency under low-K⁺ stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Study on the Potential for Stimulating Mulberry Growth and Drought Tolerance of Plant Growth-Promoting Fungi

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 4090; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24044090 - 17 Feb 2023

Viewed by 818

Abstract

Drought stress often leads to heavy losses in mulberry planting, especially for fruits and leaves. Application of plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) endows various plant beneficial traits to overcome adverse environmental conditions, but little is known about the effects on mulberry under drought stress. In the present study, we isolated 64 fungi from well-growing mulberry trees surviving periodical drought stress, and Talaromyces sp. GS1, Pseudeurotium sp. GRs12, Penicillium sp. GR19, and Trichoderma sp. GR21 were screened out due to their strong potential in plant growth promotion. Co-cultivation assay revealed that PGPF stimulated mulberry growth, exhibiting increased biomass and length of stems and roots. Exogenous application of PGPF could alter fungal community structures in the rhizosphere soils, wherein Talaromyces was obviously enhanced after inoculation of Talaromyces sp. GS1, and Peziza was increased in the other treatments. Moreover, PGPF could promote iron and phosphorus absorption of mulberry as well. Additionally, the mixed suspensions of PGPF induced the production of catalase, soluble sugar, and chlorophyll, which in turn enhanced the drought tolerance of mulberry and accelerated their growth recovery after drought. Collectively, these findings might provide new insights into improving mulberry drought tolerance and further boosting mulberry fruit yields by exploiting interactions between hosts and PGPF. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Root-Zone Restriction Regulates Soil Factors and Bacterial Community Assembly of Grapevine

Muhammad Salman Zahid

Muzammil Hussain

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 15628; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232415628 - 09 Dec 2022

Viewed by 653

Abstract

Root-zone restriction induces physiological stress on roots, thus limiting the vegetative and enhancing reproductive development, which promotes fruit quality and growth. Numerous bacterial-related growth-promoting, stress-mitigating, and disease-prevention activities have been described, but none in root-restricted cultivation. The study aimed to understand the activities of grapevine bacterial communities and plant-bacterial relationships to improve fruit quality. We used High-throughput sequencing, edaphic soil factors, and network analysis to explore the impact of restricted cultivation on the diversity, composition and network structure of bacterial communities of rhizosphere soil, roots, leaves, flowers and berries. The bacterial richness, diversity, and networking were indeed regulated by root-zone restriction at all phenological stages, with a peak at the veraison stage, yielding superior fruit quality compared to control plants. Moreover, it also handled the nutrient availability in treated plants, such as available nitrogen (AN) was 3.5, 5.7 and 0.9 folds scarcer at full bloom, veraison and maturity stages, respectively, compared to control plants. Biochemical indicators of the berry have proved that high-quality berry is yielded in association with the bacteria. Cyanobacteria were most abundant in the phyllosphere, Proteobacteria in the rhizosphere, and Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in the endosphere. These bacterial phyla were most correlated and influenced by different soil factors in control and treated plants. Our findings are a comprehensive approach to the implications of root-zone restriction on the bacterial microbiota, which will assist in directing a more focused procedure to uncover the precise mechanism, which is still undiscovered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Transcription Factor IAA27 Positively Regulates P Uptake through Promoted Adventitious Root Development in Apple Plants

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14029; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214029 - 14 Nov 2022

Viewed by 739

Abstract

Phosphate (P) deficiency severely limits the growth and production of plants. Adventitious root development plays an essential role in responding to low phosphorus stress for apple plants. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating adventitious root growth and development in response to low phosphorus stress have remained elusive. In this study, a mutation (C-T) in the coding region of the apple AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID 27 (IAA27) gene was identified. MdIAA27T-overexpressing transgenic apple improved the tolerance to phosphorus deficiency, which grew longer and denser adventitious roots and presented higher phosphorous content than the control plants under low phosphorus conditions, while the overexpression of MdIAA27C displayed the opposite trend. Moreover, the heterologous overexpression of MdIAA27 in tobacco yielded the same results, supporting the aforementioned findings. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that MdIAA27 directly interacted with AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF8), ARF26 and ARF27, which regulated Small Auxin-Up RNA 76 (MdSAUR76) and lateral organ boundaries domain 16 (MdLBD16) transcription. The mutation in IAA27 resulted in altered interaction modes, which in turn promoted the release of positive ARFs to upregulate SAUR76 and LBD16 expression in low phosphorus conditions. Altogether, our studies provide insights into how the allelic variation of IAA27 affects adventitious root development in response to low phosphorus stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

High pH Alleviated Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) Copper Toxicity by Enhancing the Capacity to Maintain a Balance between Formation and Removal of Reactive Oxygen Species and Methylglyoxal in Leaves and Roots

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 13896; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213896 - 11 Nov 2022

Viewed by 651

Abstract

The contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG) formation and removal in high-pH-mediated alleviation of plant copper (Cu)-toxicity remains to be elucidated. Seedlings of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) were treated with 0.5 (non-Cu-toxicity) or 300 (Cu-toxicity) μM CuCl₂ × pH 4.8, 4.0, or 3.0 for 17 weeks. Thereafter, superoxide anion production rate; H₂O₂ production rate; the concentrations of MG, malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant metabolites (reduced glutathione, ascorbate, phytochelatins, metallothioneins, total non-protein thiols); and the activities of enzymes (antioxidant enzymes, glyoxalases, and sulfur metabolism-related enzymes) in leaves and roots were determined. High pH mitigated oxidative damage in Cu-toxic leaves and roots, thereby conferring sweet orange Cu tolerance. The alleviation of oxidative damage involved enhanced ability to maintain the balance between ROS and MG formation and removal through the downregulation of ROS and MG formation and the coordinated actions of ROS and MG detoxification systems. Low pH (pH 3.0) impaired the balance between ROS and MG formation and removal, thereby causing oxidative damage in Cu-toxic leaves and roots but not in non-Cu-toxic ones. Cu toxicity and low pH had obvious synergistic impacts on ROS and MG generation and removal in leaves and roots. Additionally, 21 (4) parameters in leaves were positively (negatively) related to the corresponding root parameters, implying that there were some similarities and differences in the responses of ROS and MG metabolisms to Cu–pH interactions between leaves and roots. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Physiological and Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal the Effects of Elevated Root-Zone CO₂ on the Metabolism of Sugars and Starch in the Roots of Oriental Melon Seedlings

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(20), 12537; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232012537 - 19 Oct 2022

Viewed by 751

Abstract

Root-zone CO₂ is a major factor that affects crop growth, development, nutrient uptake, and metabolism. Oriental melon is affected by root-zone gases during growth, the microstructure, sugar and starch contents, enzymatic activities related to sugar and starch metabolism, and gene expression in the roots of oriental melon seedlings were investigated under three root-zone CO₂ concentrations (CK: 0.2%, T1: 0.4%, T2: 1.1%). Elevated root-zone CO₂ altered the cellular microstructure, accelerated the accumulation and release of starch grains, disrupted organelle formation, and accelerated root senescence. The sugar and starch contents and metabolic activity in the roots increased within a short duration following treatment. Compared to the control, 232 and 1492 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified on the 6th day of treatment in T1 and T2 plants, respectively. The DEGs were enriched in three metabolic pathways. The majority of genes related to sucrose and starch hydrolysis were upregulated, while the genes related to sucrose metabolism were downregulated. The study revealed that oriental melon seedlings adapt to elevated root-zone CO₂ stress by adjusting sugar and starch metabolism at the transcriptome level and provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the response to elevated root-zone CO₂ stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Root-Zone CO₂ Concentration Affects Partitioning and Assimilation of Carbon in Oriental Melon Seedlings

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10694; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810694 - 14 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 720

Abstract

Root-zone CO₂ is essential for plant growth and metabolism. However, the partitioning and assimilation processes of CO₂ absorbed by roots remain unclear in various parts of the oriental melon. We investigated the time at which root-zone CO₂ enters the oriental melon root system, and its distribution in different parts of the plant, using ¹³C stable isotopic tracer experiments, as well as the effects of high root-zone CO₂ on leaf carbon assimilation-related enzyme activities and gene expressions under 0.2%, 0.5% and 1% root-zone CO₂ concentrations. The results showed that oriental melon roots could absorb CO₂ and transport it quickly to the stems and leaves. The distribution of ¹³C in roots, stems and leaves increased with an increase in the labeled root-zone CO₂ concentration, and the δ¹³C values in roots, stems and leaves increased initially, and then decreased with an increase in feeding time, reaching a peak at 24 h after ¹³C isotope labeling. The total accumulation of ¹³C in plants under the 0.5% and 1% ¹³CO₂ concentrations was lower than that in the 0.2% ¹³CO₂ treatment. However, the distributional proportion of ¹³C in leaves under 0.5% and 1% ¹³CO₂ was significantly higher than that under the 0.2% CO₂ concentration. Photosynthetic carbon assimilation-related enzyme activities and gene expressions in the leaves of oriental melon seedlings were inhibited after 9 days of high root-zone CO₂ treatment. According to these results, oriental melon plants’ carbon distribution was affected by long-term high root-zone CO₂, and reduced the carbon assimilation ability of the leaves. These findings provide a basis for the further quantification of the contribution of root-zone CO₂ to plant communities in natural field conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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Open AccessArticle

Photosynthetic Characteristics and Chloroplast Ultrastructure Responses of Citrus Leaves to Copper Toxicity Induced by Bordeaux Mixture in Greenhouse

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Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 9835; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179835 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 848

Abstract

Bordeaux mixture (Bm) is a copper (Cu)-based pesticide that has been widely used for controlling citrus scab and citrus canker. However, frequent spraying of Bm is toxic to citrus. To our knowledge, few studies are available that discuss how the photosynthetic characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure of citrus leaves are affected by Cu toxicity induced by excessive Bm. In the study, two-year-old seedlings of Citrus grandis (C. grandis) and Citrus sinensis (C. sinensis), which were precultured in pots, were foliar-sprayed with deionized water (as control) or Bm diluted 500-fold at intervals of 7 days for 6 times (4 times as recommended by the manufacturer) to investigate the leaf Cu absorption, photosynthesis, chloroplast ultrastructure and antioxidant enzymatic activities. Bm foliar-sprayed 6 times on citrus seedlings increased the leaf Cu content, decreased the photosynthetic pigments content and destroyed the chloroplast ultrastructure, which induced leaf chlorosis and photosynthetic inhibition. A lower Cu absorption, a higher light photon-electron transfer efficiency, a relative integrity of chloroplast ultrastructure and a promoted antioxidant protection contributed to a higher photosynthetic activity of C. grandis than C. sinensis under excessive spraying of Bm. The present study provides crucial references for screening and selecting citrus species with a higher tolerance to Cu toxicity induced by excessive Bm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology of Fruit Crops)

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