Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.5
4.0
Journals
Plants
Special Issues
Microelements in Plant and Soil
share announcement

Microelements in Plant and Soil

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 14647

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hongmei Cai

E-Mail Website
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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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

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

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

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 5108 KiB  
Article
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
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1504
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 [...] Read more.
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4337 KiB  
Article
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
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1832
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 [...] Read more.
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3529 KiB  
Article
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 8 | Viewed by 2292
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 [...] Read more.
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4147 KiB  
Article
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 9 | Viewed by 2725
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 [...] Read more.
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 530 KiB  
Article
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 1794
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. [...] Read more.
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3036 KiB  
Article
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 10 | Viewed by 2854
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 [...] Read more.
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)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop