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The Multifaceted Responses of Plants to Visible and Ultraviolet Radiation...
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The Multifaceted Responses of Plants to Visible and Ultraviolet Radiation II

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 3769

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Antonella Castagna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: plant-environment interactions; early defensive mechanisms; nutraceutical quality of plant food; ultraviolet radiation; edible coatings, antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marco Santin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: plant-environment interactions; early defensive mechanisms; nutraceutical quality of plant food; ultraviolet radiation; edible coatings; antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Years of evolution under solar radiation have led plants to develop fine regulation systems involving many photoreceptors, signal transduction pathways, and intracellular responses in order to survive and acclimate to the ever-changing solar conditions. Light plays a key role in plants’ lifespan, affecting several physiological and biochemical processes, e.g., photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis. Irradiance, wavelength, and exposure time are major factors modulating diverse processes, from seed germination to plant growth, flowering, and fruit formation, and also have a profound influence on the nutritional–nutraceutical qualities of plant food. The reaction of plants or fruits towards a specific radiation might largely differ not only from species to species but also among cultivars, thus inducing either acclimation or stress responses. Moreover, exposure to distinct radiations might trigger defensive mechanisms in the exposed plants, changing their susceptibility towards both biotic and abiotic stressors. Recent evidence has also shown that not only directly exposed organs or tissues but also light-screened plant portions can perceive and/or respond to visible and ultraviolet radiation due to signaling mechanisms still partially unknown.

This Special Issue of Plants aims to highlight the fascinating role of light radiations in plant life from diverse perspectives, from perception to specific functions or processes, from gene expression to plant–environment interactions, without forgetting the exploitation of specific wavelengths to improve plant yield or to design plant foods enriched in health-promoting compounds.

Dr. Antonella Castagna
Dr. Marco Santin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • visible light
  • ultraviolet radiation
  • photoreceptors
  • signaling
  • photomorphogenesis
  • plant growth
  • primary and secondary metabolism
  • hormones
  • food quality

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1171 KiB  
Article
Modifying the Ambient Light Spectrum Using LED Lamps Alters the Phenolic Profile of Hydroponically Grown Greenhouse Lettuce Plants without Affecting Their Agronomic Characteristics
by Cristian Hernández-Adasme, Herman Silva, Álvaro Peña, María Gabriela Vargas-Martínez, Carolina Salazar-Parra, Bo Sun and Víctor Escalona Contreras
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2466; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172466 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 359
Abstract
The growth and development of green lettuce plants can be modulated by the prevailing light conditions around them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ambient light enrichment with different LED light spectra on agronomic characteristics, polyphenol concentration and [...] Read more.
The growth and development of green lettuce plants can be modulated by the prevailing light conditions around them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ambient light enrichment with different LED light spectra on agronomic characteristics, polyphenol concentration and relative gene expression of enzymes associated with polyphenol formation in ‘Levistro’ lettuce grown hydroponically in a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system for 28 days in a greenhouse. The spectra (blue:green:red:far-red) and red:blue (R:B) ratios obtained by enriching ambient light with Blue (B), White (W), Blue-Red (BR) and Red (R) LED light were B: 47:22:21:10, 0.5:1; W: 30:38:23:9, 0.8:1; BR: 33:15:44:8, 1.3:1 and R: 16:16:60:8, 3.8:1, respectively, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under the different treatments, measured at midday, ranged from 328 to 336 µmoles m−2 s−1. The resulting daily light integral (DLI) was between 9.1 and 9.6 mol m−2 day−1. The photoperiod for all enrichment treatments was 12 h of light. The control was ambient greenhouse light (25:30:30:15; R:B = 1.2:1; PAR = 702 µmoles m−2 s−1; DLI = 16.9 mol m−2 day−1; photoperiod = 14.2 h of light). Fresh weight (FW) and dried weight percentage (DWP) were similar among the enrichment treatments and the control. The leaf number increased significantly under BR and R compared to B lights. The relative index of chlorophyll concentration (RIC) increased as plants grew and was similar among the enrichment treatments and the control. On the other hand, the concentration of chlorogenic acid and chicoric acid increased under BR and B lights, which was consistent with the higher relative expression of the coumarate 3-hydroxylase enzyme gene. In view of the results, it is inferred that half of the PAR or DLI is sufficient to achieve normal growth and development of ‘Levistro’ lettuce plants, suggesting a more efficient use of light energy under the light enrichment treatments. On the other hand, the blue and combined blue-red lights promoted the accumulation of phenolic compounds in the leaves of ‘Levistro’ lettuce plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Multifaceted Responses of Plants to Visible and Ultraviolet Radiation II)
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20 pages, 1982 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Modulation of Secondary Metabolites in Terpenoid-Accumulating Mentha spicata L. via UV Radiation
by Gaia Crestani, Kristýna Večeřová, Natalie Cunningham, Uthman O. Badmus, Otmar Urban and Marcel A. K. Jansen
Plants 2024, 13(13), 1746; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131746 - 24 Jun 2024
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Abstract
In plants, secondary metabolites change in response to environmental conditions. These changes co-regulate resilience to stressful environmental conditions, plant growth and development, and interactions between plants and the wider ecosystem, while also affecting soil carbon storage and atmospheric and climatic conditions. The objective [...] Read more.
In plants, secondary metabolites change in response to environmental conditions. These changes co-regulate resilience to stressful environmental conditions, plant growth and development, and interactions between plants and the wider ecosystem, while also affecting soil carbon storage and atmospheric and climatic conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the association between UV exposure and the contents of key metabolites, including amino acids, phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, and phytosterols. Mentha spicata plantlets were grown in tissue culture boxes for 30 days and then exposed to a low dose of broadband UV-B (291–315 nm; 2.8 kJm−2 biologically effective UV) enriched light for eight days. Metabolite contents were quantified either immediately after the final UV exposure, or after seven days of recovery under photosynthetically active radiation. It was found that UV promoted the production of flavonoids (1.8-fold) ahead of phenolic acids (unchanged). Furthermore, the majority of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, constituents of valuable mint essential oil, were significantly increased through UV treatment (up to 90-fold for α-linalool). In contrast, the contents of carotenoids and tocopherols did not increase following UV exposure. A comparison between plants sampled immediately after UV exposure and after seven days of recovery showed that there was an overall increase in the content of carotenoids, mono- and sesquiterpenes, phenolics, and amino acids following recovery, while the contents of sterols and tocopherols decreased. These UV-induced changes in metabolite profile may have important consequences for agriculture, ecology, and even the global climate, and they also provide an exciting opportunity to enhance crop value, facilitating the development of improved products with higher levels of essential oils and added benefits of enhanced flavour, colour, and bioactive content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Multifaceted Responses of Plants to Visible and Ultraviolet Radiation II)
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14 pages, 5426 KiB  
Article
Wavelength and Light Intensity Affect Macro- and Micronutrient Uptake, Stomata Number, and Plant Morphology of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
by Paulo Mauricio Centenaro Bueno and Wagner A. Vendrame
Plants 2024, 13(3), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030441 - 2 Feb 2024
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Abstract
It is already known that light quality and intensity have major influences on the growth, etiolation, germination, and morphology of many plant species, but there is limited information about the effect of wavelength and light intensity on nutrient absorption by plants. Therefore, this [...] Read more.
It is already known that light quality and intensity have major influences on the growth, etiolation, germination, and morphology of many plant species, but there is limited information about the effect of wavelength and light intensity on nutrient absorption by plants. Therefore, this study was established to evaluate the plant growth, stomata formation, chlorophyll index, and absorption of macro- and micronutrients by common bean plants under six light treatments. The experimental design was completely randomized and consisted of six treatments: strong blue (blue LED at high light intensity); weak blue (blue LED at low light intensity); strong red (red LED at high light intensity); weak red (red LED at low light intensity; pink (combined red + blue LED), and white (combined red + white led). The stomatal density (stomata mm−2); the SPAD index; plant height (cm); root length (cm); plant dry weight (g); root dry weight (g); and the concentrations of N, S, K, Mg, Ca, B, Zn, Mn, and Fe on leaf analysis were influenced by all treatments. We found that plant photomorphogenesis is controlled not only by the wavelength, but also by the light intensity. Etiolation was observed in bean plants under blue light at low intensity, but when the same wavelength had more intensity, the etiolation did not happen, and the plant height was the same as plants under multichromatic lights (pink and white light). The smallest plants showed the largest roots, some of the highest chlorophyll contents, and some of the highest stomatal densities, and consequently, the highest dry weight, under white LED, showing that the multichromatic light at high intensity resulted in better conditions for the plants in carbon fixation. The effect of blue light on plant morphology is intensity-dependent. Plants under multichromatic light tend to have lower concentrations of N, K, Mg, and Cu in their leaves, but the final amount of these nutrients absorbed is higher because of the higher dry weight of these plants. Plants under blue light at high intensity tended to have lower concentrations of N, Cu, B, and Zn when compared to the same wavelength at low intensity, and their dry weight was not different from plants grown under pink light. New studies are needed to understand how and on what occasions intense blue light can replace red light in plant physiology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Multifaceted Responses of Plants to Visible and Ultraviolet Radiation II)
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