Search Results (118)

This study conducted a genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene family in the xerophytic desert shrub Reaumuria soongorica. A total of 67 GST genes were identified, classified into seven subfamilies, including Phi and Tau, with family expansion primarily attributed to small-scale duplication events. The findings revealed that ResoGST52, a member of the Tau subfamily, serves as a core gene in drought response, exhibiting significant upregulation of 2.40-fold in leaves and 9.01-fold in roots under drought stress. Mechanistic investigations indicated that the expression of ResoGST52 is likely directly regulated by the transcription factor ResoDof17, with specific hydrogen bonding interactions identified between the two. Co-expression network analysis further demonstrated that ResoGST52 cooperates with key pathways such as plant hormone signaling, MAPK cascades, and glutathione metabolism to collectively respond to drought stress. Notably, evolutionary analysis revealed that ResoGST52 has undergone positive selection, with three positively selected sites identified. Among these, the p.Ala115Ser mutation increases the volume of the protein’s active site pocket, while the remaining mutations enhance surface hydrophobicity, thereby improving protein stability and catalytic efficiency under extreme drought conditions. In summary, this study not only systematically identifies the GST gene family in R. soongorica but also elucidates the central role of ResoGST52 in drought adaptation through multiple layers—from transcriptional regulation and co-expression networks to protein structural adaptive evolution—providing valuable candidate genes and theoretical insights for genetic improvement of drought tolerance in crops. Full article

Drought is a major abiotic stress limiting rice production worldwide. GA2ox3, a GA 2-oxidase involved in gibberellin deactivation, has been previously linked to growth regulation. Here, we demonstrate that functional disruption of GA2ox3 enhances shoot growth but compromises drought tolerance in rice. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout lines (ga2ox3) showed increased plant height and reduced antioxidant capacity under 20%PEG-induced osmotic stress, evidenced by higher H₂O₂ and MDA accumulation and decreased POD activity. Moreover, expression analysis revealed that GA2ox3 may be associated with the GA signaling cascade involving OsSLR1, OsBURP3, and OsSUS1. Haplotype analysis based on 627 rice accessions identified two major alleles, Hap1 and Hap2, with Hap1 showing higher GA2ox3 expression and stronger drought resilience. These findings suggest that GA2ox3 positively regulates osmotic stress tolerance, and its natural variation represents promising genetic resources for improving drought adaptation in rice. Full article

As countries confront rapid population ageing alongside escalating climate hazards, long-term care (LTC) systems are increasingly exposed to climate-related risks yet remain under-recognised within climate adaptation policy. This study aims to bridge the gap between climate and health adaptation frameworks and LTC system planning by developing a climate-tailored integrated LTC framework. A horizon scanning and theory-informed synthesis approach was employed, drawing on peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2010 and 2025 to identify climate hazards affecting LTC users and systems. Evidence was organised by hazard type and analysed in relation to system-level disruption mechanisms and adaptation functions. Findings demonstrate that major climate hazards, including heatwaves, flooding, storms, droughts, wildfires, and air pollution, disproportionately affect LTC users, leading to increased morbidity, cognitive decline, and functional deterioration. At the same time, LTC systems are vulnerable to cascading infrastructure failures, workforce strain, supply chain disruptions, and service discontinuities. Despite these risks, the WHO Operational Framework for Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Health Systems does not explicitly address LTC, while the WHO Integrated LTC Framework does not incorporate climate-related risks. In response, this paper proposes a climate-tailored LTC framework that systematically embeds climate risk, adaptation, and mitigation within the four core LTC domains of needs, governance, service delivery, and system enablers. Equity, user participation, and decarbonisation are integrated as cross-cutting principles. The framework provides a policy-oriented architecture to strengthen climate-resilient LTC systems and align long-term care reform with broader climate and sustainable development strategies. Full article

The Xinjiang wheat variety ‘Xindong 22’ was used as experimental material. Two soil moisture treatments were established: control (CK, 70–75% field capacity), drought (X1, 60–65%). The photosynthetic characteristics and resistance physiological indexes of wheat leaves under different stress levels were analyzed, and RNA-Seq technology was used to conduct transcriptome sequencing and analysis were performed on wheat leaves. The results showed that under drought stress, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly enhanced, while peroxidase (POD) activity decreased. Soluble sugar and proline contents also increased. These changes likely enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging, thereby reducing the content of malondialdehyde in the leaves. Meanwhile, under the X1 treatment, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of wheat leaves showed a slow decreasing trend, the intercellular CO₂ concentration decreased slightly, the decline in Fv/Fm was relatively small, and the value of the non-photochemical quenching coefficient gradually increased. Transcriptome analysis identified 1881 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Notably, drought stress induced the up-regulation of key genes involved in the ABA signaling pathway (e.g., SnRK2 and ABF) and the MAPK cascade, suggesting their crucial roles in mediating drought responses in this wheat variety. In the jasmonic acid signaling pathway, MYC2 functions as a positive regulator by interacting with JAZ proteins. These findings demonstrate that Xinjiang wheat employs integrated physiological and molecular strategies to cope with drought stress. Full article

Ecuador’s energy system, heavily reliant on hydropower, is increasingly exposed to climate-related disruptions. The 2023–2024 crisis triggered by a historic drought revealed critical structural weaknesses. During this period, the government implemented scheduled electricity rationing of up to 14 h per day in major cities and industrial zones. The blackouts led to cascading economic and social impacts, with an estimated economic toll of USD 2 billion from the energy crisis, equivalent to 2% of Ecuadorian GDP. Hence, this study aims to apply the LEAP model to quantitatively simulate demand, supply, and policy outcomes under two long-term scenarios through 2050. The findings underscore the urgent need for energy diversification, efficiency improvements, and decarbonization of the transport sector to enhance system resilience. The results offer actionable insights for building a more resilient and low-carbon energy future in Ecuador and in similar hydropower-dependent economies. Additionally, the analysis highlights that institutional reforms, technological modernization, and energy integration are essential to mitigating long-term climate risks. By incorporating scenario-based projections, this study provides evidence to guide public policy and investment decisions. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on sustainable energy transitions in vulnerable economies under climate stress. Full article

Climate change and altered hydrological regimes are restructuring wetland habitats globally, triggering cascading effects on colonial waterbirds. This study investigates how environmental drivers, including thermal anomalies, water-level fluctuations, and aqueous surface extent, influence the distribution and size of waterbird colonies (Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae, and Phalacrocoracidae) in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. We integrated colony census data (2016–2023) with remote-sensing-derived habitat metrics, in situ meteorological and hydrological measurements to model colony abundance dynamics. Our results indicate that elevated early spring temperatures and water level variability are the primary determinants of numerical population dynamics. Spatial analysis revealed a heterogeneous response to hydrological stress: while the westernmost colony exhibited high site fidelity due to its proximity to persistent aquatic surfaces, the central colonies suffered severe declines or local extirpation during extreme drought periods (2020–2022). A discernible eastward shift in bird assemblages was observed toward zones with superior hydrological connectivity and proximity to anthropogenic hubs, suggesting an adaptive spatial response that was consistent with behavioral flexibility. We propose an adaptive management framework prioritizing sustainable solutions for maintaining minimum lacustrine water levels to preserve critical foraging zones. This integrative framework highlights the pivotal role of remote sensing in transitioning from reactive monitoring to predictive conservation of deltaic ecosystems. Full article

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) are pivotal upstream regulators of MAPK cascades, integrating signals that coordinate plant development and stress responses. However, the specific functions of MAPKKKs, particularly within the MEKK subfamily, in mediating cotton resistance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt remain poorly characterized. To address this, we conducted a systematic, cross-species analysis of the MAPKKK family in four key cotton species: Gossypium arboreum, Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium hirsutum, and Gossypium raimondii. Genome-wide identification and phylogenetic analysis revealed 660 MAPKKK genes, classifying them into the MEKK, Raf, and ZIK subfamilies. Evolutionary analysis indicated that Whole-Genome Duplication (WGD) events were the primary driver of family expansion. Promoter cis-element and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses implicated these genes in hormone signaling and stress adaptation. Expression profiling demonstrated functional modularity, with distinct members responding specifically to cold stress or cooperatively to drought and salt stresses. Upon pathogen infection, members diverged into regulatory modules associated with immune homeostasis, tissue-specific defense, and core signaling potentially governing systemic acquired resistance (SAR). The temporal expression patterns of core candidate genes were validated by qRT-PCR. This study provides, for the first time, a comprehensive evolutionary and functional framework for the MEKK subfamily within the cotton MAPKKK family. It reveals the conserved and divergent roles of this subfamily in stress adaptation and identifies key candidate genes for breeding disease-resistant cotton varieties. Full article

Precipitation in high mountain areas is of critical importance as these regions are major sources of freshwater, supporting river basins, ecosystems, and downstream communities. Changes in precipitation regimes in these regions can have cascading impacts on water availability, agriculture, hydropower, and biodiversity. The present study aims to give new information about precipitation variability in high mountain regions of Bulgaria (Musala, Botev Peak, and Cherni Vrah) and to assess the role of large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns for the occurrence of extreme precipitation months. The study period is 1937–2024, and the classification of extreme precipitation months is based on the 10th and 90th percentiles of precipitation distribution. The temporal distribution of extreme precipitation months was analyzed by comparison of two periods (1937–1980 and 1981–2024). The impact of atmospheric circulation was evaluated by correlation between the number of extreme precipitation months and indices for the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO). Results show a statistically significant decrease in winter and spring precipitation at Musala and Cherni Vrah, and a persistent drying tendency at Cherni Vrah across all seasons. The frequency of extremely wet months in winter and autumn has sharply declined since 1981, whereas extremely dry months have become more common, particularly during the cold season. Precipitation erosivity also exhibits station-specific responses, with Musala and Cherni Vrah showing reduced monthly concentration, while Botev Peak retains pronounced warm-season erosive rainfall. Circulation analysis indicates that positive NAOI phases favor dry extremes, while positive WeMOI phases enhance wet extremes. These findings reveal a shift toward drier and more seasonally uneven conditions in Bulgaria’s alpine zone, increasing hydrological risks related to drought, water scarcity, and soil erosion. The identified shifts in precipitation seasonality and intensity offer essential guidance for forecasting hydrological risks and mitigating soil erosion in vulnerable mountain ecosystems. The study underscores the need for adaptive water-resource strategies and enhanced monitoring in high-mountain areas. Full article

Compound drought and heatwave (CDHW) events pose a rising threat to global water security and ecosystem stability. While their increased frequency under global warming is recognized, their spatiotemporal evolution and subsequent cascading impacts on hydrological processes in monsoonal lake basins remain poorly quantified. This study investigates the characteristics and hydrological impacts of CDHW in the Poyang Lake Basin, China’s largest freshwater lake, from 1981 to 2016. Using a daily rolling-window approach with the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Temperature Index (STI), we identified CDHW events and characterized them with metrics of frequency, severity, and intensity. Event coincidence analysis (ECA) was employed to quantify the trigger relationship between CDHW and subsequent hydrological droughts (streamflow and lake water level). Our results reveal a paradigmatic shift in the CDHW regime post-2000, marked by statistically significant increases in all three metrics and a fundamental alteration in their statistical distributions. ECA demonstrated that intensified CDHW events significantly enhance hydrological drought risk, primarily through a robust and increasing lagged influence at seasonal timescales (peaking at 40–90 days). Decomposition of compound events attributes this protracted impact predominantly to the heatwave component, which imposes prolonged hydrological stress, in contrast to the more immediate but rapidly decaying influence of drought alone. This study highlights the necessity of integrating compound extremes and their non-stationary, lagged impacts into water resource management and climate adaptation strategies for monsoonal basins. Full article

Valine-glutamine motif proteins (VQ), plant-specific transcriptional co-regulators harboring the conserved FxxhVQxhTG motif, play pivotal roles in coordinating plant stress adaptation through dynamic interactions with WRKY transcription factors (WRKY), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) cascades, and hormone signaling pathways. Evolutionary analyses reveal the characteristics of their evolutionary protection and ancient origin, with lineage-specific expansion via genome duplication events. Structurally, compact genes lacking introns and the presence of intrinsic disordered regions (IDRs) facilitate rapid stress responses and versatile protein interactions. Functionally, VQ proteins orchestrate abiotic stress tolerance (e.g., drought, salinity, temperature extremes) by modulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, osmotic balance, and abscisic acid/salicylic acid (ABA/SA)-mediated signaling. Concurrently, they enhance biotic stress resistance via pathogen-responsive WRKY-VQ modules that regulate defense gene expression and hormone crosstalk. Despite advances, challenges persist in deciphering post-translational modifications, tissue-specific functions, and cross-stress integration mechanisms. Harnessing CRISPR-based editing and multi-omics approaches will accelerate the exploitation of VQ genes for developing climate-resilient crops. This review synthesizes the molecular architecture, evolutionary dynamics, and multifunctional regulatory networks of VQ proteins, providing a roadmap for their utilization in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Drought stress induces oxidative damage that severely impairs the growth and development of ginseng seedlings. Although conventional antioxidants present a theoretical approach for mitigating such oxidative damage, their practical application is constrained by their inadequate stability. Herein, we developed multifunctional antioxidant carbon dots (CDs) synthesized from the medicinal herb Epimedium via a one-step hydrothermal method. The biomass-derived CDs exhibited efficient cascade nanozyme activities for mimicking both superoxide dismutase and catalase to achieve effective scavenging of multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS). Under drought stress, application of CDs to ginseng seedlings significantly mitigated oxidative damage through the modulation of the antioxidant enzyme system and improved osmotic regulation. Simultaneously, it could enhance photosynthetic efficiency and mitigate growth suppression caused by drought. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that CDs alleviated drought stress by triggering transcriptional reprogramming that activated genes related to antioxidant defense, photosynthetic efficiency, and stress signaling. Additionally, the CDs exhibited excellent biocompatibility and environmental safety. This work provides a novel and environmentally friendly strategy to enhance drought tolerance in medicinal plants. Full article

Global warming increases the frequency with which drought and heat stress occur simultaneously, especially in semi-arid regions. Such combined stress imposes a non-additive and more severe impact on plant growth, yield, and quality than either stress alone. Here, we integrate recent physiological, biochemical, and multi-omics studies to compare individual and combined stress responses and to dissect the underlying signal transduction networks. We show that drought-dominated phases rapidly elevate ABA concentrations and activate SnRK2–AREB cascades, whereas heat pulses trigger jasmonic acid and ethylene signals that antagonize ABA-driven stomatal closure. Under combined stress, these hormonal modules converge on a “competitive TF marketplace”, where ABA, JA, and GA cis-elements co-regulate invertase–sugar checkpoints, heat shock factor/ROS oscillators, and chromatin-remodeling events that determine reproductive fate. Recent advances using multi-omics approaches and systems biology have further elucidated these complex networks. These insights will inform future breeding strategies aiming to develop stress-tolerant crops. We highlight emerging tools—weighted gene co-expression networks, kinetic multi-omics, and cis-regulatory CRISPR editing—that can exploit these signaling hubs for breeding crops with improved combined stress tolerance. Full article

Rhizosphere microbiota, serving as pivotal drivers of multifunctionality in grassland ecosystems, are jointly shaped by the dual influences of biotic and abiotic factors. Among biotic components, plant functional types selectively modulate microbial communities through root exudate specificity, while soil fauna (e.g., nematodes and earthworms) drive microbial interaction networks via biophysical disturbances and trophic cascades. However, excessive nematode grazing suppresses the hyphal extension of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Moderate grazing facilitates the proliferation of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria through fecal input, whereas intensive grazing induces topsoil compaction, leading to a dramatic 40–60% reduction in lipopolysaccharide content in Gram-negative bacteria. Long-term chemical fertilization significantly decreases the fungal-to-bacterial ratio, while organic amendments enhance microbial carbon use efficiency by activating extracellular enzymatic activities. Regarding abiotic factors, the stoichiometric characteristics of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus directly regulate microbial metabolic strategies. Hydrological dynamics influence microbial respiratory pathways through oxygen partial pressure shifts—drought stress inhibits mycelial network development. Future research should focus on predicting the emissions of gases such as N₂O (ozone monomer) and optimizing nitrogen fertilizer management to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the source. The soil organic carbon storage in grassland ecosystems is extremely large. Effective prediction and management can make these soils become important carbon “sinks”, offsetting the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. At the same time, transcriptomics and metabolic flux analysis should be combined with multi-omics technologies and in situ labeling methods to provide theoretical basis and technical support for developing mechanism-based and predictable grassland restoration and adaptive management strategies from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. Full article

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors represent one of the largest transcriptional regulator families in cereal crops such as rice, maize, and wheat. They play crucial and diverse roles in regulating key agronomic traits and essential physiological processes. This review provides a systematic synthesis of the functionally characterized bHLH genes across the three major cereals, offering a comparative perspective on their roles in growth, development, and stress responses. We comprehensively summarize their documented functions, highlighting specific regulators such as TaPGS1 for grain size, rice ILI subfamily for leaf angle, OsbHLH004 for seed dormancy and maize “Ms23-Ms32-bHLH122-bHLH51” cascade for the anther development. Their conserved and species-specific functions in iron homeostasis (e.g., IRO2) and in responses to drought, cold, salinity, and pathogens are also detailed. Additionally, we discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms, including specific binding to E-box/G-box cis-elements, protein dimerization, and integration with hormone signaling pathways. By integrating the current knowledge, this review serves as a consolidated and up-to-date reference that highlights the strategic potential of bHLH transcription factors in molecular breeding programs for improving yield, quality, and stress tolerance in cereals. Full article

Drought is an extremely terrifying environmental calamity, causing declining agricultural production, escalating food prices, water scarcity, soil erosion, increased wildfire risks, and changes in ecosystem. Drought data is noisy and poses challenges to accurate forecasts due to it being nonstationary and non-linear. This research aims to construct a contemporary and novel approach termed as TVFEMD-GPR, crossbreeding time varying filter-based empirical mode decomposition (TVFEMD) and gaussian process regression (GPR), to model multi-scaler standardized precipitation index (SPI) to forecast droughts. At first, the statistically significant lags at (t − 1) were computed via partial auto-correlation function (PACF). In the second step, the TVFEMD splits the (t − 1) lag into several factors named as intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and residual components. The third step is the final step, where the GPR model took the IMFs and residual as input predictors to forecast one-month SPI (SPI1), three-months SPI (SPI3), six-months SPI (SPI6), and twelve-months SPI1 (SPI12) for Mackay and Springfield stations in Australia. To benchmark the new TVFEMD-GPR model, the long short-term memory (LSTM), boosted regression tree (BRT), and cascaded forward neural network (CFNN) were also developed to assess their accuracy in drought forecasting. Moreover, the TVFEMD was integrated to create TVFEMD-LSTM, TVFEMD-BRT, and TVFEMD-CFNN models to forecast multi-scaler SPI where the TVFEMD-GPR surpassed all comparable models in both stations. The outcomes proved that the TVFEMD-GPR outperformed comparable models by acquiring ENS = 0.5054, IA = 0.8082, U95% = 1.8943 (SPI1), ENS = 0.6564, IA = 0.8893, U95% = 1.5745(SPI3), ENS = 0.8237, IA = 0.9502, U95% = 1.1123 (SPI6), and ENS = 0.9285, IA = 0.9813, U95% = 0.7228 (SPI12) for Mackay Station. For Station 2 (Springfield), the TVFEMD-GPR obtained these metrics as ENS = 0.5192, IA = 0.8182, U95% = 1.9100 (SPI1), ENS = 0.6716, IA = 0.8953, U95% = 1.5163 (SPI3), ENS = 0.8289, IA = 0.9534, U95% = 1.1296 (SPI6), and ENS = 0.9311, IA = 0.9829, and U95% = 0.7695 (SPI12). The research exhibits the practicality of the TVFEMD-GPR model to anticipate drought events, minimize their impacts, and implement timely mitigation strategies. Moreover, the TVFEMD-GPR can assist in early warning systems, better water management, and reducing economic losses. Full article