Search Results (380)

The dormancy of lilies is an important physiological process involving vernalisation and the differentiation and maturation of flower buds. We have cloned an aquaporin, SbP1P1;2, from the Lilium ‘Siberia’. Subcellular localisation analysis indicates that it is a protein that is localised to the plasma membrane in Nicotiana benthamiana. VIGS-mediated transient silencing revealed that silencing the SbPIP1;2 gene inhibited the development of lily flower buds, while those in the control group differentiated earlier to the anther primordia stage. Notably, the ABA levels in the control group had dropped significantly by day 63, suggesting that dormancy ended earlier than in the treatment group. The test plants’ phenotype is characterised primarily by the fact that silencing the SbPIP1;2 gene inhibits both flower bud development and root growth. The dormancy-to-sleep transition phase (PS vs. TS) was also the period during which the largest number of differentially expressed genes was observed. KEGG enrichment analysis indicates that starch and sucrose metabolic pathways are most active from the onset to the completion of dormancy release and that significant differences occur in several key genes within these pathways. These include alpha-trehalose-phosphate synthase (TPS), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), trehalase (TREH), fructokinase-1 (E2.7.1.1), beta-glucosidase (bglB), glycogen synthase (glgA), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family members 1 and 3 (ENPP1/3). The discovery that aquaporins promote dormancy breaking in lilies is a highly successful case study for aquaporin research in flowers. Full article

Dormancy is an important factor influencing colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis through diverse metabolic pathways and cell types. To elucidate its molecular mechanisms, bulk transcriptomic pathway scoring was integrated with single-cell RNA sequencing of epithelial, cancer stem, and immune cells to identify CRC dormancy-associated genes (CDAGs). Twenty-three CDAGs were identified. These genes were found to play a regulatory role in dormancy by participating in metabolic processes affecting energy supply or substance synthesis. In two independent CRC cohorts (GSE41258, GSE41568), machine learning models using these genes distinguished metastatic samples with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79–0.87. High CDAG expression was associated with better recurrence-free survival in GSE41258 (p = 0.005), which remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, and adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.037). The prognostic value was validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Colon and Rectal Cancer for progression-free survival (p = 0.004). Moreover, 20 CRC dormancy-associated drugs were identified, 12 of which were reported to be associated with CRC, two with experimental evidence of inhibiting CRC metastasis or recurrence. This study provided metabolic-oriented genes for characterizing CRC dormancy, which could distinguish metastatic samples and had independent prognostic value, and offered a foundation for further development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Full article

Halophytes thrive in saline habitats through highly specialized adaptive responses, including seed-based strategies to regulate germination timing and ensure reproductive success under fluctuating environmental conditions. Salt-induced quiescence, structural alteration, and regulatory mechanisms are valuable adaptive strategies that facilitate plant growth under high saline conditions, which are becoming increasingly severe due to global climate change. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of halophyte seed germination, dormancy, and recovery. Low to moderate salt exposure generally causes reversible inhibition of germination; however, prolonged or high-level exposure causes stress-induced seed damage. On the other hand, halophyte seeds exhibit regulatory mechanisms associated with germination inhibition under high salt conditions. Adaptive traits such as seed heteromorphism, protective seed coats, mucilage production, and physiological dormancy enhance survival and establishment in saline soils. The ability of halophyte seeds to maintain viability under high salinity and to germinate rapidly when salt stress is alleviated indicates the preservation of metabolic and cellular integrity. Structural adaptations, regulatory mechanisms that balance germination, and the salt-induced quiescent process are controlled by morphological changes and molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, this review highlights the ecological significance and potential applications of halophyte seeds for crop improvement and the restoration of saline and degraded lands. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of halophyte seed behavior is a valuable approach for enhancing plant resilience to salinity stress. Full article

Viola odorata, commonly known as sweet violet, is valued for both its fragrance and medicinal properties. However, seeds of V. odorata exhibit non-deep physiological dormancy, resulting in poor and inconsistent germination. This dormancy can be overcome through physical or chemical treatments, including scarification, stratification, and hormone application. Although mechanical scarification is effective, many commonly used approaches have notable limitations, such as reliance on corrosive chemicals and a lack of uniformity. This study presents a simple and effective mechanical scarification technique using rat-tooth tweezers to gently crack the seed coat tip of V. odorata ‘Empress Augusta’ (EA). This method significantly improved germination. When combined with cold stratification at 4 °C, germination further increased, reaching 70% within 8 weeks. Germination was enhanced even further on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal salt medium supplemented with 10 mg/L gibberellic acid (GA₃), achieving 97.5% germination by day 54. These findings suggest that this simple mechanical scarification method, when combined with cold stratification and GA₃ treatment, could provide a reliable and practical strategy for breaking dormancy and facilitating seed germination in V. odorata. Full article

Seed germination is a critical determinant of seedling establishment, stress resistance, and final yield. ABA catabolism plays a central role in releasing seed dormancy and promoting germination, and ABA8ox is the key rate-limiting enzyme in this process. In this study, we used wild-type maize B73, and ZmABA8ox1b CRISPR-Cas9 knockout mutant as materials to investigate the biological function of ZmABA8ox1b. Compared with the wild type, the zmaba8ox1b mutant significantly delayed seed germination and enhanced the sensitivity to exogenous ABA. Endogenous ABA content in mutant embryos was drastically increased, indicating that ZmABA8ox1b is essential for ABA degradation during germination. The loss of ZmABA8ox1b function led to the activation of the ABA signaling pathway and severely impaired the responsiveness to exogenous ABA. Moreover, the mutation disturbed the expression and ABA responsiveness of auxin, gibberellin, ethylene, jasmonic acid, and brassinosteroid pathways, leading to a hormonal network imbalance. In conclusion, ZmABA8ox1b positively regulates maize seed germination by coordinating ABA catabolism and multi-hormone signal crosstalk. This study preliminarily clarifies the molecular mechanism of ZmABA8ox1b in germination control and provides important gene resources and theoretical support for breeding maize varieties. Full article

Large reservoir construction generates vast drawdown zones characterized by novel hydrological regimes that impose unprecedented selective pressures. While annual plants serve as pioneer colonists during secondary succession in these ecosystems, the mechanisms allowing their seeds to persist through prolonged anti-seasonal flooding remain poorly understood. We investigated how seed germination responses to extreme submergence are influenced by dormancy traits and phylogenetic history. We conducted a field experiment on 44 common annual plant species in the Three Gorges Reservoir drawdown zone. Seeds were subjected to maximum submergence depths of 0 m (control), 5 m, 10 m, 15 m, and 20 m, along the reservoir’s hydrological gradient. Post-submergence germination percentages were measured and analyzed using linear and Bayesian phylogenetic mixed-effects models, with seed dormancy status, seed type, season, and species’ phylogenetic relationships as explanatory variables. Submergence significantly reduced overall seed germination (p < 0.001), but more than 75% of species retained germination capacity even after 20 m of submergence. Germination percentage distributions shifted from near-normal to bimodal with increasing depth. Although the regression of squared PIC values against phylogenetic branch lengths showed a significant relationship, phylogenetic signal for germination percentages was weak and non-significant across all depths (Pagel’s λ < 0.101, Blomberg’s K < 0.228, p > 0.05). Bayesian models revealed that dormancy season significantly interacted with submergence depth (Estimate = −1.41, 95% CrI [−2.16, −0.67]). Seeds dormant during autumn-winter maintained stable germination percentages across depths, while germination of spring-summer dormant seeds declined significantly with increasing depth. Our findings demonstrate that annual plant seeds possess widespread, species-specific tolerance to extreme submergence. This tolerance is primarily driven by environmental filtering rather than phylogenetic history. The seasonality of dormancy is a crucial adaptive mechanism, enabling seeds, particularly those dormant in autumn-winter, to withstand the harsh conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir drawdown zone. This study provides a functional trait-based framework for selecting suitable species for the ecological restoration of reservoir drawdown zones globally. Full article

Far-UVC 222 nm is a promising adjunctive disinfection technology for occupied healthcare environments, though antimicrobial efficacy varies significantly across pathogen types due to fundamental differences in microbial biology. This review synthesizes evidence on microbiological determinants of far-UVC resistance, examining cell envelope structure, biofilm formation, DNA repair capacity, and antioxidant defenses. A clear resistance hierarchy emerges. Enveloped viruses lacking enzymatic repair systems are highly vulnerable, requiring fluences below 3 mJ/cm². Gram-negative bacteria are readily inactivated through membrane disruption and reactive oxygen species accumulation. Gram-positive bacteria demonstrate higher resistance via thick peptidoglycan barriers, DNA repair mechanisms, and redundant antioxidant systems. Biofilm-embedded cells show 10–1000-fold increased tolerance due to protective extracellular matrices, stress-response gene upregulation, and microenvironmental heterogeneity. Clostridioides difficile spores exhibit extreme resistance through multilaminar protective coats and metabolic dormancy, requiring impractical doses exceeding 1000 mJ/cm². Field studies in real-world polymicrobial biofilm communities demonstrate substantially lower efficacy than laboratory predictions, typically achieving only 55–81% bioburden reductions. Understanding these pathogen-specific resistance mechanisms is essential for the rational deployment of far-UVC as an adjunctive infection prevention intervention in healthcare settings. Full article

Morinda royoc L. is a shrub with high pharmacological value due to its antimicrobial and metabolic bioactivity. However, its low germination limits its commercial use and conservation. This study characterized the morphophysiology of its diaspores, evaluated pre-germination treatments (mechanical endocarp removal and GA₃ soaking at 600 and 1200 ppm), and determined its storage behavior. The analyses showed a highly significant effect where manual endocarp removal overcame mechanical restriction and eliminated dormancy, achieving 100% germination within two weeks, whereas the control reached only 51.5% after 23 weeks. Treatments with GA₃ did not improve germination compared to the control, and an inhibitory effect was observed at 1200 ppm, although 100% of the non-germinated embryos remained viable. The seeds maintain viability above 90% after three months of storage at 25, 5, and −20 °C. Our findings suggest that M. royoc seeds exhibit orthodox behavior (tolerant to desiccation and freezing) and non-deep physiological dormancy. This study documents, for the first time, a method for the complete release of dormancy in the species, which is essential for successful propagation. Our results provide a rapid and economical germination method that facilitates mass propagation, establishing the technical basis for the transition toward commercial-scale cultivation and ensuring the effective conservation of M. royoc germplasm. Full article

Pomacea canaliculata, listed among the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species, poses serious threats to rice production and freshwater ecosystems. This review synthesizes current research in physiological ecology, molecular genetics, and invasion ecology to examine its invasion success from a multiscale mechanistic perspective. P. canaliculata exhibits broad environmental adaptability at physiological, molecular, and behavioral levels. These adaptations include seasonal cold tolerance, drought-induced dormancy and post-dormancy recovery, acclimation to both freshwater and brackish environments, and tolerance to a range of pollutants and pesticides, including evidence of toxicant-induced hormesis. The species also shows pronounced phenotypic plasticity in growth, reproduction, and resource utilization. Genomic plasticity, multiple introduction events, and introgressive hybridization with closely related species further enhance its evolutionary potential and dispersal capacity. In addition, P. canaliculata displays behavioral adaptations such as learning and alarm responses. The synergistic interaction of these multilayered adaptive mechanisms underpins the global invasion success of this species. This review also identifies key uncertainties in current research and emphasizes the need for greater integration of multi-omics approaches, long-term monitoring of population dynamics in hybrid zones, and experimental studies addressing the interactive effects of multiple stressors, with the ultimate aim of improving invasion risk prediction and management. Full article

In forest species with physical dormancy, defining the ideal harvest point is challenging because of the limited understanding of the relationships among maturation, physiological quality, and seed dormancy. Hymenaea martiana Hayne, a native species of the Caatinga (Brazil) biome with ecological and economic relevance and potential for use in restoration, still requires integrated information on these processes. This study aimed to identify the point of physiological maturity and the moment of establishment of physical dormancy in H. martiana seeds on the basis of the associations between fruit color and indicators of physiological quality. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with a 6 × 2 factorial scheme (maturation stages × with and without scarification), and the physical characteristics and physiological quality of the seeds were evaluated. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate approaches, with inflection point analysis applied as a complementary method to identify structural changes throughout maturation. Maturation is characterized by a reduction in water content, accumulation of dry matter, and the progressive establishment of physical dormancy. Seed coat dormancy is the main limiting factor for germination, and it is efficiently overcome by mechanical scarification, which confirms the role of seed coat impermeability in controlling imbibition and seedling emergence. Stage V represents the most suitable harvest point under the conditions evaluated, at which point the seeds exhibit physiological maturity associated with the greatest expression of vigor and the best germination performance when subjected to scarification. Defining this interval as the ideal harvest point contributes to improving seed collection and handling strategies, particularly for seedling production. Full article

Background: Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is characterised by often rapid therapeutic failure and chemotherapy resistance. While terminal resistance is well studied, the initial transition into a drug-tolerant phenotype remains poorly understood. Methods: We established patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from malignant pleural effusions to model this transition. Cisplatin-tolerant lines were generated via repeated incremental exposure to cisplatin and compared to time-matched treatment-naive controls using RNA sequencing and Seahorse XFe96 metabolic flux analysis. Results: Integrated profiling suggested that the route to tolerance may be influenced by the underlying mutational profile. In this cohort, all BAP1-retained models (including those with KRAS mutations or MTAP loss) adopted an elevated basal metabolic hybrid phenotype, significantly upregulating baseline oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis to fuel survival mechanisms. Conversely, BAP1-deficient models entered a hypometabolic state of dormancy, characterised by baseline bioenergetic suppression and reduced Ki-67 proliferation. Transcriptomic analysis identified a vesicular transport signature (SYNGR3, VPS52, PROM2) in plastic models, suggesting altered membrane trafficking as a potential survival strategy. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that mesothelioma therapeutic escape is not a uniform process. Identifying these patient-specific metabolic and transcriptomic trajectories via 3D PDOs provides a hypothesis-generating framework to explore potential avenues for future personalised therapy. Full article

Sugars play a pivotal regulatory role in floral bud dormancy release in Prunus mume, a process that critically determines subsequent flowering time. However, the precise molecular mechanisms linking sugar metabolism to this developmental transition remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we integrated physiological profiling and transcriptomic sequencing using two cultivars with contrasting flowering phenologies: the early-flowering ‘Chaotang Gongfen’ (CTGF) and the late-flowering ‘Shichu Jin’ (SCJ). Exogenous sugar treatments were applied separately to floral buds of the cultivar ‘Yilian’ to evaluate the effect of sugars on dormancy release. During dormancy release, glucose and sucrose contents increased progressively and showed significant positive correlations with bud break rates in both CTGF and SCJ (r > 0.75). Consistently, exogenous application of glucose and sucrose significantly accelerated bud break in ‘Yilian’, whereas mannose exhibited an inhibitory effect. Transcriptome analysis of CTGF and SCJ revealed significant enrichment of starch and sucrose metabolism, hormone signal transduction, and stress-responsive pathways. Key metabolic genes, notably the α-amylase gene PmAMY1-2 and the cell wall invertase genes PmCWINV1/4, were upregulated during this transition. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further identified PmFRK4, PmSUS6, and the aforementioned invertases as candidate genes within a sugar-associated regulatory module. Collectively, these findings support a model in which glucose and sucrose accumulation promotes endodormancy release via the transcriptional activation of starch and sucrose catabolic pathways. This study provides a theoretical framework for deciphering dormancy regulation in woody perennials and offers potential targets for the precise manipulation of flowering time. Full article

Proteomic research in the genus Vitis has progressed from early biochemical studies of soluble proteins to high-resolution, quantitative analyses encompassing all major organs and derived products. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of advances in grapevine and wine proteomics. In leaves, studies have revealed extensive remodeling of photosynthetic, antioxidant, and defense pathways under biotic (e.g., Plasmopara viticola, Erysiphe necator, Xylella fastidiosa, Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis) and abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, heat, light). Bud proteomics elucidated hormonal regulation and mechanisms of dormancy release, while root studies identified nitrate-dependent metabolic shifts and adaptive protein networks. Cell culture models enabled controlled investigation of elicitor responses, stilbene biosynthesis, and temperature-induced proteome changes. In berries, proteomics clarified developmental transitions from fruit set to ripening, emphasizing proteins related to secondary metabolism, vacuolar transport, and stress tolerance. Comparative analyses across cultivars and environments identified biomarkers linked to aroma, color, and texture. The wine proteome revealed selective persistence of grape-derived proteins (e.g., thaumatin-like proteins, chitinases) and yeast peptides influencing stability and sensory properties, while Botrytis cinerea infection significantly alters this balance by degrading PR proteins and introducing fungal enzymes. Altogether, the Vitis proteome emerges as a dynamic, multifunctional system crucial for understanding plant adaptation, enological quality, and biomarker discovery. Full article

Osteocytes, once viewed mainly as passive bone-embedded cells, are now recognized as active regulators of the metastatic bone niche. Emerging evidence indicates that these cells integrate mechanical, inflammatory, and tumor-derived cues to influence metastatic seeding, dormancy, reactivation, and lesion progression in bone. This review synthesizes current understanding of osteocyte contributions to skeletal metastasis. We discuss core signaling axes, including osteocyte-derived RANKL/OPG balance, Wnt antagonists (sclerostin/DKK1), mechanotransduction pathways (Piezo1 signaling and connexin-43 hemichannels), and osteocyte paracrine mediators (extracellular vesicles and senescence-associated factors), and examine how each axis modulates tumor cell dormancy, osteolysis, or osteoblastic progression. We then review translational strategies targeting osteocytes, recent preclinical and clinical insights. Emerging biomarkers (e.g., serum sclerostin, DKK1, bone turnover markers) and immune–skeletal imaging approaches are also considered. Controversies, including the paradoxical effects of sclerostin blockade and the identity of in vivo RANKL sources, are discussed. Finally, we outline key knowledge gaps and propose endpoints for future trials. In summary, an osteocyte-centric perspective reveals novel targets and strategies for managing bone metastases, guiding future translational research. Full article

Leaf senescence in perennial species constitutes a highly orchestrated developmental phase that differs fundamentally from the obligate monocarpic senescence of annual plants. While individual organs undergo programmed senescence, prerennial organisms maintain longevity across multiple growing seasons through a sophisticated interplay between endogenous programs and exogenous cues. This review provides a systematic synthesis of the regulatory mechanisms governing leaf senescence in herbaceous perennials (Lolium perenne and Festuca arundinacea) and woody perennials (Populus, Pinus, and Agave). We highlight a multi-layered regulatory landscape, encompassing divergent and conserved pathways in transcriptional orchestration, hormonal crosstalk, metabolic reprogramming, and telomere maintenance. Specific emphasis is placed on how these mechanisms allow for tissue-specific and seasonal adaptation, such as the integration of dormancy signals in woody taxa versus stress-plasticity in perennial grasses. By elucidating these complex frameworks, this review not only advances our fundamental understanding of plant life-span regulation but also provides a theoretical foundation for the molecular breeding of delayed senescence germplasm, offering transformative potential for enhancing agricultural productivity and ecological resilience. Full article