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Microelements in Plant and Soil

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant–Soil Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2023) | Viewed by 9543

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Dr. Hongmei Cai

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Guest Editor

College of Resources and Environment, HuaZhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: plant-soil interaction; plant nutrition; nutrient interaction; gene function; transporter; transcription factor; rhizosphere soil
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microelements are essential for the healthy growth of higher plants, and also required by crops for high yield and quality. If one or more of these elements is deficient, crops will fail to achieve their optimum yield, and the quality of their food products is likely to be impaired. In addition to yields, the contents of micronutrients in crop products, such as staple grains, are also of great importance to the health of humans and animals. In recent years, many studies have reported not only the uptake, transport, and metabolism of microelements in plants but also their bioavailability in soils, their roles played in the biotic and abiotic resistance, interactions with other nutrients, and effects on microbiomes in soils. In this Special Issue, articles (including original research papers, perspectives, opinions, reviews) are welcome that focus on microelements (not only essential and benefit microelements, but also toxic trace elements) in plant and soil.

Dr. Hongmei Cai
Guest Editor

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Keywords

microelement
trace element
heavy metal
bioavailability
uptake
transport
metabolism
plant–soil interaction
nutrient–nutrient interaction
plant–environment interaction

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification of the Ferric Chelate Reductase (FRO) Gene Family in Peanut and Its Diploid Progenitors: Structure, Evolution, and Expression Profiles

by Junhua Guan, Zheng Zhang and Gangrong Shi

Plants 2024, 13(3), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030418 - 31 Jan 2024

Viewed by 647

Abstract

The ferric chelate reductase (FRO) family plays a vital role in metal ion homeostasis in a variety of locations in the plants. However, little is known about this family in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). This study aimed to identify FRO genes from the genomes of peanut and the two diploid progenitors (A. duranensis and A. ipaensis) and to analyze their gene/protein structures and evolution. In addition, transcriptional responses of AhFRO genes to Fe deficiency and/or Cu exposure were investigated in two peanut cultivars with different Fe deficiency tolerance (Silihong and Fenghua 1). A total of nine, four, and three FRO genes were identified in peanut, A. duranensis, and A. ipaensis, respectively, which were divided into three groups. Most AhFRO genes underwent WGD/segmental duplication, leading to the expansion of the AhFRO gene family. In general, clustered members share similar gene/protein structures. However, significant divergences occurred in AhFRO2 genes. Three out of five AhFRO2 genes were lowly expressed in all tissues under normal conditions, which may be beneficial for avoiding gene loss. Transcription analysis revealed that AhFRO2 and AhFRO7 genes might be involved in the reduction of Fe/Cu in plasma membranes and plastids, respectively. AhFRO8 genes appear to confer Fe reduction in the mitochondria. Moreover, Fe deficiency induced an increase of Cu accumulation in peanut plants in which AhFRO2.2/2.4/2.5 and FRO7.1/7.2 might be involved. Our findings provided new clues for further understanding the roles of AhFRO genes in the Fe/Cu interaction in peanut. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microelements in Plant and Soil)

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17 pages, 4337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing Analysis and Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors Responsive to Cadmium Stress in Arabis paniculata

by Tianjiao Chen, Dan Zuo, Jie Yu, Yunyan Hou, Hongcheng Wang, Lei Gu, Bin Zhu, Huinan Wang and Xuye Du

Plants 2023, 12(21), 3779; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213779 - 6 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1043

Abstract

Arabis paniculata is a newly discovered hyperaccumulator known for its ability to accumulate multiple metals. WRKY proteins play a significant role in plant responses to various stresses, including cadmium (Cd) stress. However, there is limited research on the molecular biology of Arabis paniculata, especially regarding the WRKY family. In this study, we conducted third-generation sequencing for functional annotation and structural analysis of Arabis paniculata. We obtained 41,196 high-quality isoforms from the full-length transcriptome, with an average length of 1043 bp. A total of 26,670 genes were predicted against NR, Swissprot, KOG, and KEGG databases. Functional comparison using the KOG database revealed excellent annotation in 25 functional categories, with general function prediction (1822 items) being the most predominant. MISA analysis identified 12,593 SSR loci, with single nucleotide repeats being the largest category (44.83% of the total). Moreover, our predictions provide insights into 20,022 coding sequences (CDS), 811 transcription factors, and 17,963 LncRNAs. In total, 34 WRKY gene sequences were identified in Arabis paniculata. Bioinformatics analysis revealed diverse numbers of amino acids in these WRKYs (113 to 545 aa), and a conserved WRKYGQK sequence within the N-terminus of the WRKY protein. Furthermore, all WRKYs were found to be localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis classified the WRKY genes into three categories: I (14 members), II (17 members), and III (3 members). Category II was subsequently divided into four sub-categories: II-a (8 members), II-b (1 member), II-c (1 member), and II-d (7 members). Our quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments revealed that ApWRKY23 and ApWRKY34 exhibited the highest expression levels at the 24-h time point, suggesting their potential role as the candidate genes for Cd stress response. These findings contribute to our understanding of the genomic information of Arabis paniculata and provide a basis for the analysis of its genetic diversity. Additionally, this study paves the way for a comprehensive exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying the WRKY genes in Arabis paniculata under Cd stress conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microelements in Plant and Soil)

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16 pages, 3529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Interaction between Copper and Nitrogen-Uptake, Translocation, and Distribution in Rice Plant

by Xinlong Cui, Hua He, Shengwang Hu, Banfa Zhang and Hongmei Cai

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2612; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192612 - 4 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1466

Abstract

Interactions among nutrients have been widely recognized in plants and play important roles in crop growth and yield formation. However, the interplay of Cu and N in rice plants is not yet clear. In this study, rice plants were grown with different combinations of Cu and N supply. The effects of Cu-N interaction on the growth, yield production, Cu and N transport, and gene expression levels were analyzed. The results showed that the effect of N supply on rice growth and yield formation was more pronounced than that of Cu supply. The Cu supply significantly improved the uptake of N (by 9.52–30.64%), while the N supply significantly promoted the root-to-shoot translocation of Cu (by 27.28–38.45%) and distributed more Cu (1.85–19.16%) into the shoots and leaves. The results of qRT-PCR showed that +Cu significantly up-regulated the expression levels of both NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ transporter genes OsNRTs and OsAMTs, including OsNRT1.1B, OsNRT2.1, OsNRT2.3a, OsNRT2.4, OsAMT1.2, OsAMT1.3, and OsAMT3.1. Meanwhile, +N significantly up-regulated the expression levels of Cu transporter genes OsHMA5 and OsYSL16. In addition, the supply of Cu up-regulated the expression levels of OsGS1;2, OsGS2, and OsNADH-GOGAT to 12.61-, 6.48-, and 6.05-fold, respectively. In conclusion, our study demonstrates a synergistic effect between Cu and N in rice plants. It is expected that our results would be helpful to optimize the application of N and Cu fertilizers in agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microelements in Plant and Soil)

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15 pages, 4147 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Levels of Zinc Affect Nitrogen and Phosphorus Transformation in Rice Rhizosphere Soil by Modifying Microbial Communities

by Haihan Lv, Chenchen Ji, Jingli Ding, Lu Yu and Hongmei Cai

Plants 2022, 11(17), 2271; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11172271 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1846

Abstract

Due to global industrialization in recent decades, large areas have been threatened by heavy metal contamination. Research about the impact of excessive Zn on N and P transformation in farmland has received little attention, and its mechanism is still not completely known. In this study, we planted rice in soils with toxic levels of Zn, and analyzed the plant growth and nutrient uptake, the N and P transformation, enzyme activities and microbial communities in rhizosphere soil to reveal the underlying mechanism. Results showed high levels of Zn severely repressed the plant growth and uptake of N and P, but improved the N availability and promoted the conversion of organic P into inorganic forms in rice rhizosphere soil. Moreover, high levels of Zn significantly elevated the activities of hydrolases including urease, protease, acid phosphatase, sucrase and cellulose, and dehydrogenase, as well as the abundances of Flavisolibacter, Sphingomonas, Gemmatirosa, and subgroup_6, which contributed to the mineralization of organic matter in soil. Additionally, toxic level of Zn repressed the nitrifying process by decreasing the abundance of nitrosifying bacteria Ellin6067 and promoted denitrification by increasing the abundance of Noviherbaspirillum, which resulted in decreased NO₃⁻ concentration in rice rhizosphere soil under VHZn condition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microelements in Plant and Soil)

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17 pages, 530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metal(loid)s in Common Medicinal Plants in a Uranium Mining-Impacted Area in Northwestern New Mexico, USA

by Christine Samuel-Nakamura and Abdul-Mehdi S. Ali

Plants 2022, 11(15), 2069; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11152069 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1177

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine uranium (U) and other metal(loid) concentrations (As, Cd, Cs, Pb, Mo, Se, Th, and V) in eight species of plants that are commonly used for medicinal purposes on Diné (Navajo) lands in northwestern New Mexico. The study setting was a prime target for U mining, where more than 500 unreclaimed abandoned U mines and structures remain. The plants were located within 3.2 km of abandoned U mines and structures. Plant biota samples (N = 32) and corresponding soil sources were collected. The samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry. In general, the study findings showed that metal(loid)s were concentrated greatest in soil > root > aboveground plant parts, respectively. Several medicinal plant samples were found to exceed the World Health Organization Raw Medicinal Plant Permissible Level for As and Cd; however, using the calculated human intake data, Reference Dietary Intakes, Recommended Dietary Allowances, and tolerable Upper Limits, the levels were not exceeded for those with established food intake or ingestion guidelines. There does not appear to be a dietary food rise of metal(loid) ingestion based solely on the eight medicinal plants examined. Food intake recommendations informed by research are needed for those who may be more sensitive to metal(loid) exposure. Further research is needed to identify research gaps and continued surveillance and monitoring are recommended for mining-impacted communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microelements in Plant and Soil)

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18 pages, 3036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profile Reveal Potential Roles of Peanut ZIP Family Genes in Zinc/Iron-Deficiency Tolerance

by Zhen Zhang, Nannan Chen, Zheng Zhang and Gangrong Shi

Plants 2022, 11(6), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060786 - 16 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2137

Abstract

Zinc/iron-regulated transporter-like protein (ZIP) family genes play crucial roles in metal uptake and transport in plants. However, little is known about their functions in peanut. Here, genome-wide analysis identified 30 peanut AhZIP genes that were divided into four classes. Most AhZIPs experienced whole-genome or segmental duplication. AhZIP proteins harbored 3–8 transmembrane domains and a typical ZIP domain, showing considerable homology with BbZIP from Bordetella bronchiseptica. Clustered AhZIPs generally share similar gene/protein structures; however, unique features were found in AhIRT1.2, AhZIP1.2, AhZIP3.5 and AhZIP7.8. RNA-seq data revealed that AhZIP2.1/2.2, AhZIP4.1/4.2 and AhZIP11.1/11.2 were highly and preferentially expressed in roots, nodule and reproductive tissues. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that transcriptional responses of AhZIPs to Fe/Zn deficiency are cultivar dependent. The expressions of AhIRT1.1, AhIRT1.2 and AhZIP6.1 were closely related to Fe uptake and translocation. AhIRT1.1 and AhZIP7.2 expression were significantly correlated with Zn accumulation. The expression of AhIRT1.1, AhIRT1.2, AhZIP3.6, AhZIP6.1 and AhZIP11.1 was associated with Mn uptake and translocation. The results confirmed that AhZIP genes play crucial roles in the uptake and transport of Fe, Zn and Mn in peanut, providing clues to further functionally characterize AhZIP genes in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microelements in Plant and Soil)

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