Search Results (38)

Legal actors often discuss emotion-based decisions and reasoned evaluation of the facts as distinct and opposite methods through which jurors can reach conclusions. However, research suggests that emotion can have an indirect effect on juror decisions by changing the way that jurors evaluate the facts of the case. In three studies (N = 713, N = 677, N = 651), we tested whether mock jurors’ negative moral emotions towards the defendant predicted their evaluations of unrelated case evidence and in turn their case judgments and whether judicial rehabilitation could reduce this effect. Participants read a civil case and were randomly assigned to either receive judicial rehabilitation or not. Then, they completed measures relating to their negative moral emotions towards the defendant, their agreement with plaintiff and defense evidence, and case judgments. When participants reported increased negative emotions towards the defendant, they agreed more with unrelated plaintiff evidence and less with unrelated defense evidence. In turn, they voted liable more often and awarded more in damages. Judicial rehabilitation did not reduce this effect. This research provides support for the idea that there is a more complicated relationship between emotion and decisions than legal actors suggest. Specifically, negative emotions towards the defendant are associated with a pro-plaintiff evaluation of evidence and pro-plaintiff judgments. Full article

In the United States, courts say a jury must determine whether a defendant is an Indian subject to federal jurisdiction; however, jurors are provided little guidance regarding what to consider in their Indian status determinations. Given the jurisdictional and legal defense implications Indian status decisions have, we tested whether jurors consider two easily accessible potential indicators of Indian race: appearance and name. We examined whether mock jurors’ (N = 825) stereotypes of Indians influenced their determinations of whether a defendant is an Indian and whether that defendant is guilty of the crime alleged using a fully crossed 3 (defendant photo Indian stereotypicality: high, low, and none) × 3 (defendant name Indian stereotypicality: high, low, and none) between-participants design, controlling for participants’ feelings toward Indians as a group and internal and external motivations to respond without prejudice. In general, neither the defendant’s name nor photo stereotypicality predicted Indian status determinations, but jurors who thought the defendant was an Indian were more likely to find the defendant guilty. Thus, mock jurors consider factors other than the defendant’s name and appearance when deciding whether the defendant is Indian, but if the defendant is considered Indian, mock jurors are more likely to find the defendant guilty. Full article

Blackleg disease poses a major threat to global canola production. The resistance gene Rlm1, corresponding to the avirulence gene AvrLm1 in the pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, has been widely used to mitigate the impact of the disease. To investigate the biochemical basis of Rlm1-mediated resistance against blackleg, we conducted an LC-MS–based analysis of a susceptible Topas double haploid (DH) line and its isogenic Rlm1-carrying resistant counterpart for metabolomic profiles during the infection process. Samples were labeled with ¹²C- and ¹³C for LC-MS analyses to enhance both chemical and physical properties of metabolites for improved quantification and detection sensitivity. Resistant plants showed early and sustained accumulation of several defense metabolites, notably pipecolic acid (PA, up to 326-fold), salicylic acid (SA), and gentisic acid (GA) in L. maculans-inoculated Topas–Rlm1 plants compared to mock-inoculated Topas–Rlm1 controls (adjusted p < 0.05), indicating activation of lysine degradation and hormonal defense pathways. Elevated glucosinolates (GLS), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and melatonin precursors may further contribute to antimicrobial defense and cell-wall reinforcement. In contrast, flavonoid and phenylpropanoid pathways were down-regulated, suggesting metabolic reallocation during resistance. Exogenous application of PA, SA, GA, ferulic acid, and piperonylic acid (a known inhibitor of the phenylpropanoid pathway in plants) significantly reduced infection in susceptible canola varieties, validating their defense roles against blackleg. These results offer new insights into Rlm1-mediated resistance and support metabolic targets for breeding durable blackleg resistance in canola. Full article

CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/endosperm surrounding region (CLE) peptides have been reportedly involved in plant growth and development, as well as responses to abiotic stresses. However, the stress resilience of most CLE genes in cotton remains largely unknown. Here, induced expression pattern analysis showed that GhCLE25 was obviously responsive to osmotic and salt treatments, indicating that GhCLE25 was involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Furthermore, silencing GhCLE25 or the exogenous application of CLE25p effectively led to reduced and enhanced drought tolerance, respectively, as indicated by the activities of the plants’ POD, SOD, CAT, and MDA contents, as well as their height and fresh weight. We found that the knockdown of GhCLE25 promoted seedling growth and development, with a higher plant height and fresh weight in GhCLE25-silenced plants in comparison to control plants. In addition, a comparative transcriptome analysis of TRV:00 versus TRV:GhCLE25 and Mock versus CLE25p revealed that the CLE25-mediated signaling pathway is mainly involved in defense response and phytohormone signaling. Collectively, these findings indicate diverse roles of CLE25 in regulating plant growth and response to environmental stimuli and highlight the potential utilization of CLE25 to improve drought stress in modern agriculture via CLE25p spraying. Full article

Chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a very important vegetable crop, commonly used as a spice or seasoning in various dishes. With the growth of the global population, the demand for chili peppers has also increased exponentially. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus that has spread to dozens of countries worldwide. Its infection in chili peppers can severely impact yield and quality, posing a significant threat to the chili pepper industry. However, the transcriptional response of chili peppers to ToBRFV infection has not been studied yet. This research utilized RNA-Seq technology to analyze the transcriptional profiles of chili pepper leaves (‘Haonong 11’) 13 days post-infection with ToBRFV or mock treatment, identifying a total of 1468 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 1366 were upregulated and 102 were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs were involved in biological processes such as defense response, response to reactive oxygen species, protein folding, and plant-pathogen interaction. Twelve DEGs were validated by RT-qPCR, with their expression trends consistent with the transcriptome data, indicating the reliability of the high-throughput data. Our systematic analysis provides a molecular basis for the response of chili pepper leaves to ToBRFV infection at the transcriptomic level and offers potential candidate genes for further research into the interaction mechanisms between ToBRFV and plant hosts. Full article

A key contributor to the pathogenicity of viruses is their interaction with cellular defense mechanisms, including UPR (unfolded protein response) that counteracts the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (known as ER stress). One of the UPR branches is mediated by the IRE1 (inositol-requiring enzyme 1) protein, which possesses protein kinase and RNase activities that facilitate the unconventional cytoplasmic splicing of XBP1 mRNA, leading to the upregulation of the XBP1 transcription factor. In this study, we demonstrate that Encephalomyocarditis Virus (Cardiovirus rueckerti) is able to suppress IRE1-dependent XBP1 activation. HeLa cells infection with EMCV resulted in the modulation of phosphorylated IRE1 levels throughout the infection cycle. Viral infection did not result in the accumulation of spliced XBP1 mRNA. Moreover, the addition of a chemical inducer of ER stress (dithiothreitol) to infected cells led to a markedly lower accumulation of spliced XBP1 mRNA as compared to the level of this mRNA in inducer-treated mock-infected cells. Thus, our results demonstrate the ability of picornaviruses to modulate another defensive activity of the host cell. Full article

Development of native microbial consortia is crucial for the sustainable management of plant diseases in modern agriculture. This study aimed to evaluate the antagonistic potential of various microbial isolates against Rhizoctonia bataticola, a significant soil-borne pathogen. A total of 480 bacteria, 283 fungi, and 150 actinomycetes were isolated and screened using in vitro dual plate assays. Among these, isolates 5F, 131B, 223B, and 236B demonstrated the highest antagonistic activity, with inhibition rates of 88.24%, 87.5%, 81.25%, and 81.25%, respectively. The selected isolates were further assessed for abiotic stress tolerance, revealing their ability to thrive under extreme conditions. Characterization of biocontrol and plant growth-promoting activities revealed the production of siderophores, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, chitinase, and indole-3-acetic acid, along with the solubilization of zinc and phosphorus. Compatibility tests confirmed the potential of forming effective microbial consortia, which significantly reduced the percent disease index in cluster bean. The most effective consortium, comprising Trichoderma afroharzianum 5F, Pseudomonas fluorescens 131B, Bacillus licheniformis 223B, and Bacillus subtilis 236B, achieved a 76.5% disease control. Additionally, this consortium enhanced total phenol (92.1%), flavonoids (141.6%), and antioxidant defense enzyme activities including POX (188.5%), PPOX (116.3%), PAL (71.2%), and TAL (129.9%) in cluster bean plants over the infected control, leading to substantial improvements in systemic resistance of plants. This consortium also significantly enhanced plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, number of pods per plant, and seed yield over the infected control as well as mock control. This study underscores the potential of these robust microbial consortia as a sustainable and effective strategy for managing R. bataticola and enhancing crop productivity under extreme environmental conditions. Full article

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a newly-emerging tobamovirus which was first reported on tomatoes in Israel and Jordan, and which has now spread rapidly in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. ToBRFV can overcome the resistance to other tobamoviruses conferred by tomato Tm-1, Tm-2, and Tm-2² genes, and it has seriously affected global crop production. The rapid and comprehensive transcription reprogramming of host plant cells is the key to resisting virus attack, but there have been no studies of the transcriptome changes induced by ToBRFV in tomatoes. Here, we made a comparative transcriptome analysis between tomato leaves infected with ToBRFV for 21 days and those mock-inoculated as controls. A total of 522 differentially expressed genes were identified after ToBRFV infection, of which 270 were up-regulated and 252 were down-regulated. Functional analysis showed that DEGs were involved in biological processes such as response to wounding, response to stress, protein folding, and defense response. Ten DEGs were selected and verified by qRT-PCR, confirming the reliability of the high-throughput sequencing data. These results provide candidate genes or signal pathways for the response of tomato leaves to ToBRFV infection. Full article

The outbreak of Fusarium head blight (FHB) poses a serious threat to wheat production as it leads to both significant yield losses and accumulation of several mycotoxins including deoxynivalenol (DON) in the grains, which are harmful to human and livestock. To date, hundreds of FHB-resistance-related quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been reported, but only a few of them have been cloned and used for breeding. Small interfering RNAs (siRNA) have been reported in plants to mediate host defense against pathogens, but they have rarely been reported in wheat-FHB interaction. In order to identify the key siRNAs that can potentially be used in the improvement of resistance to FHB, siRNAs from the spikes of an FHB-resistant variety Sumai 3 and an FHB-susceptible variety of Chinese Spring (CS) were sequenced after F. graminearum infection and mock inoculation, respectively. The expression patterns of the siRNAs of interest were analyzed. A total of 4019 siRNAs of high-confidence were identified, with 131 being CS-specific, 309 Sumai 3-specific and 3071 being common in both varieties. More than 87% of these siRNAs were 24 nt in length. An overall down-regulation trend was found for siRNAs in the spikes of both varieties after being infected with F. graminearum. The expression patterns for Triticum aestivum Dicer-like 3 (TaDCL3) that synthesizes 24 nt siRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR, which were positively correlated with those of the siRNAs. A total of 85% of the differentially expressed genes putatively targeted by the siRNAs were significantly up-regulated after infection, showing a negative correlation with the overall down-regulated expression of siRNAs. Interestingly, the majority of the up-regulated genes are annotated as disease resistance. These results suggested that the inhibition of siRNA by F. graminearum up-regulated the disease resistance genes, which were putatively suppressed by siRNAs through RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). Consequently, the resistant capability to F. graminearum infection was enhanced. This study provides novel clues for investigating the function of siRNA in wheat-F. graminearum interaction. Full article

Heat stress (HS) has become one of the major abiotic stresses that severely constrain rice growth. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in plant development and stress response. However, the effect of different concentrations of exogenous ABA on HS tolerance in rice still needs to be further elucidated. Here, we found that high concentrations of exogenous ABA increased HS damage in seedlings, whereas 10⁻¹² M ABA treatment increased fresh and dry weight under HS relative to mock seedlings. Our further data showed that, in response to HS, 10⁻⁵ M, ABA-treated seedlings exhibited a lower chlorophyll content, as well as transcript levels of chlorophyll biosynthesis and antioxidant genes, and increased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, the transcript abundance of some heat-, defense-, and ABA-related genes was downregulated on 10⁻⁵ M ABA-treated seedlings under HS. In conclusion, high concentrations of exogenous ABA reduced the HS tolerance of rice seedlings, and this negative effect could be achieved by regulating the accumulation of ROS, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and the transcription levels of key genes in seedlings under HS. Full article

Eggplant verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium spp., is a severe eggplant vascular disease. Solanum sisymbriifolium, a wild species of eggplant that is resistant to verticillium wilt, will be beneficial for genetically modifying eggplants. To better reveal the response of wild eggplant to verticillium wilt, proteomic analysis by iTRAQ technique was performed on roots of S. sisymbriifolium after exposure to Verticillium dahliae, and some selected proteins were also validated using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). After inoculation with V. dahliae, the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and soluble protein (SP) of S. sisymbriifolium roots all exhibited an increase in activity or content compared with that of the mock-inoculated plants, especially at 12 and 24 h post-inoculation (hpi). A total of 4890 proteins (47.04% of the proteins were from S. tuberosum and 25.56% were from S. lycopersicum according to the species annotation) were identified through iTRAQ and LC-MS/MS analysis. A total of 369 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) (195 downregulated and 174 upregulated) were obtained by comparison of the control and treatment groups at 12 hpi, and 550 DEPs (466 downregulated and 84 upregulated) were obtained by comparison of the groups at 24 hpi. The most significant Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment terms at 12 hpi were regulation of translational initiation, oxidation-reduction, and single-organism metabolic process in the biological process group; cytoplasm and eukaryotic preinitiation complex in the cellular component group; and catalytic activity, oxidoreductase activity, and protein binding in the molecular function group. Small molecule metabolic, organophosphate metabolic, and coenzyme metabolic processes in the biological process group; the cytoplasm in the cellular component group; and catalytic activity and GTPase binding in the molecular function group were significant at 24 hpi. Then, KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis was performed, and 82 and 99 pathways (15 and 17, p-value < 0.05) were found to be enriched at 12 and 24 hpi, respectively. Selenocompound metabolism, ubiquinone, and other terpenoid-quinone biosyntheses, fatty acid biosynthesis, lysine biosynthesis, and the citrate cycle were the top five significant pathways at 12 hpi. Glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, linoleic acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and cyanoamino acid metabolism were the top five at 24 hpi. Some V. dahliae-resistance-related proteins, including phenylpropanoid-pathway-related proteins, stress and defense response proteins, plant–pathogen interaction pathway and pathogenesis-related proteins, cell wall organization and reinforcement-related proteins, phytohormones-signal-pathways-related proteins, and other defense-related proteins were identified. In conclusion, this is the first proteomic analysis of S. sisymbriifolium under V. dahliae stress. Full article

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), utilizing natural resources, multiple cropping systems, and cow-dung- and urine-based products to improve soil biology, has been practiced by thousands of farmers in India. However, without any scientific proof, this traditional and ancient technique is mocked as a bugged theory in the scientific community. In the current study, we have investigated the effect of Jeevamrit—cow-dung- and urine-based formulation—on soil chemical and microbial properties of the ZBNF field coupled with metagenomic analysis and the economics of ZBNF. The percentage increase in soil properties, such as organic carbon, available phosphorus, and available potassium, was recorded up to 46%, 439%, and 142%, respectively, while micronutrients, such as Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn, also increased up to 98%, 23%, 62%, and 55%, respectively, from 2017 to 2019. Whole genome metagenomic analysis revealed that Proteobacteria were dominantly present, and bacterial phyla including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Panibacillus. On the other hand, Ascomycota was the dominating fungal phyla present in the soil sample. Further, functional analysis showed a high representation of genes/enzymes involved in amino acids and carbohydrate metabolism contributing to soil fertility, plant growth, defense, and development. Additionally, the cost–benefit ratio of ZBNF was double the farmer’s practice when tested with the rice and wheat cropping system. The results from this study provide a new proof of concept and understanding of the potential of the ZBNF component, i.e., Jeevamrit, in improving soil properties. Full article

The plant epidermis is the first line of plant defense against pathogen invasion, and likely contains important regulatory proteins related to the plant–pathogen interaction. This study aims to identify the candidates of these regulatory proteins expressed in the plant epidermis. We performed comparative proteomic studies to identify rapidly and locally expressed proteins in the leaf epidermis inoculated with fungal phytopathogen. The conidia solutions were dropped onto the Arabidopsis leaf surface, and then, we collected the epidermal tissues from inoculated and mock-treated leaves at 4 and 24 hpi. The label-free quantification methods showed that expressions of Arabidopsis proteins, which are related to defense signals, such as BAK1, MKK5, receptor-like protein kinases, transcription factors, and stomatal functions, were rapidly induced in the epidermal tissues of inoculated leaves. In contrast, most of them were not differentially regulated by fugal inoculation in the whole leaves. These findings clearly indicate that epidermal proteomics can monitor locally expressed proteins in inoculated areas of plant tissues. We also identified the 61 fungal proteins, including effector-like proteins specifically expressed on the Arabidopsis epidermis. Our new findings suggested that epidermal proteomics is useful for understanding the local expressions of plant and fungal proteins related to their interactions. Full article

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) ligands are attracting attention as prophylactic and immunopotentiator agents against pathogens, including viruses. We previously reported that a synthetic diacylated lipopeptide (Mag-Pam2Cys_P48) polarized porcine macrophages towards a proinflammatory antimicrobial phenotype. Here, we investigated its role in modulating monocyte-derived macrophage (moMΦ) responses against African swine fever virus (ASFV), the etiological agent of one of the greatest threats to the global pig industry. Two ASFV isolates were compared: the attenuated NH/P68 and the virulent 26544/OG10. No effect on virus infection nor the modulation of surface markers’ expression (MHC I, MHC II DR, CD14, CD16, and CD163) were observed when Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 treated moMΦ were infected using a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1. Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 treated moMΦ released higher levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, and IL-18 in response to infection with NH/P68 ASFV compared to 26544/OG10-infected and mock-infected controls. Surprisingly, when infected using a MOI of 0.01, the virulent ASFV 26544/OG10 isolate replicated even slightly more efficiently in Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 treated moMΦ. These effects also extended to the treatment of moMΦ with two other lipopeptides: Mag-Pam2Cys_P80 and Mag-Pam2Cys_Mag1000. Our data suggested limited applicability of TLR2 agonists as prophylactic or immunopotentiator agents against virulent ASFV but highlighted the ability of the virulent 26544/OG10 to impair macrophage defenses. Full article

Charcoal rot, caused by the soilborne hemibiotrophic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, is a prevalent and economically significant plant disease. It is hypothesized that M. phaseolina induces oxidative stress-mediated senescence in plants. Infection by M. phaseolina results in the host’s accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that contribute toward basal defense. However, the production of ROS could also lead to cellular damage and senescence in host tissue. This study aimed to determine if ascorbic acid, a ROS scavenging molecule, could quench M. phaseolina-induced hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation in a soybean-M. phaseolina pathosystem. In vitro sensitivity tests showed that M. phaseolina isolates were sensitive to L-ascorbic acid (LAA) at concentrations of 10.5 to 14.3 mM based on IC₅₀ (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) data. In planta cut-stem assays demonstrated that pre-treatment with 10 mM of either LAA (reduced form) or DHAA (dehydroascorbic acid; oxidized form) significantly decreased lesion length compared to the non-pretreated control and post-treatments with both ascorbic acid forms after M. phaseolina inoculation. Further, H₂O₂ quantification from ascorbic acid-pretreated tissue followed by M. phaseolina inoculation showed significantly less accumulation of H₂O₂ than the inoculated control or the mock-inoculated control. This result demonstrated that M. phaseolina not only induced H₂O₂ after host infection but also increased ROS-mediated senescence. This study shows the potential of ascorbic acid, an effective ROS scavenger, to limit ROS-mediated senescence associated with M. phaseolina infection. Full article