Polygonati Rhizoma demonstrates significant potential for addressing both chronic and hidden hunger. The supply of high-quality seedlings is a primary factor influencing the development of the Polygonati Rhizoma industry. Warm water soaking is often used in agriculture to promote the rapid germination of seeds, while its application and molecular mechanism in Polygonati Rhizoma have not been reported. To rapidly obtain high-quality seedlings, this study treated Polygonatum kingianum var. grandifolium seeds with sand storage at low temperatures, warm water soaking, and cultivation temperature gradients. The results showed that the culture at 25 ℃ or sand storage at 4 ℃ for 2 months rapidly broke the seed dormancy of P. kingianum var. grandifolium, while the culture at 20 ℃ or sand storage at 4 ℃ for 1 month failed to break the seed dormancy. Soaking seeds in 60 ℃ warm water further increased the germination rate, germination potential, and germination index. Specifically, the seeds soaked at 60 ℃ and cultured at 25 ℃ without sand storage treatment(Aa25) achieved a germination rate of 78. 67%±1. 53% on day 42 and 83. 40%±4. 63% on day 77. The seeds pretreated with sand storage at 4 ℃ for 2 months, soaked in 60 ℃ water, and then cultured at 25 ℃ achieved a germination rate comparable to that of Aa25 on day 77. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that warm water soaking might promote germination by triggering reactive oxygen species( ROS), inducing the expression of heat shock factors( HSFs) and heat shock proteins( HSPs), which accelerated DNA replication, transcript maturation, translation, and processing, thereby facilitating the accumulation and turnover of genetic materials. According to the results of indoor controlled experiments and field practices, maintaining a germination and seedling cultivation environment at approximately 25 ℃ was crucial for the one-year seedling cultivation of P. kingianum var. grandifolium.
Germination ; Seedlings/genetics* ; Water/metabolism* ; Seeds/metabolism* ; Polygonatum/genetics* ; Temperature ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Plant Dormancy

Phytoremediation plays an important role in the treatment of heavy metal pollution in soil. In order to elucidate the mechanism of salicylic acid (SA) on copper absorption, seedlings from Xuzhou (with strong Cu-tolerance) and Weifang Helianthus tuberosus cultivars (with weak Cu-tolerance) were selected for pot culture experiments. 1 mmol/L SA was sprayed upon 300 mg/kg soil copper stress, and the photosynthesis, leaf antioxidant system, several essential mineral nutrients and the changes of root upon copper stress were analyzed to explore the mechanism of copper resistance. The results showed that Pn, Tr, Gs and Ci upon copper stress decreased significantly compared to the control group. Meanwhile, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid decreased with significant increase in initial fluorescence (F₀), maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSⅡ (Fv/Fm), electron transfer rate (ETR) and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) content all decreased. The ascorbic acid (AsA) content was decreased, the glutathione (GSH) value was increased, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in the leaves were decreased, and the peroxidase (POD) activity was significantly increased. SA increased the Cu content in the ground and root system, and weakened the nutrient uptake capacity of K, Ca, Mg, and Zn in the root stem and leaves. Spray of exogenous SA can maintain the opening of leaf stomata, improve the adverse effect of copper on photosynthetic pigment and PSⅡ reaction center. Mediating the SOD and APX activity started the AsA-GSH cycle process, effectively regulated the antioxidant enzyme system in chrysanthemum taro, significantly reduced the copper content of all parts of the plant, and improved the ion exchange capacity in the body. External SA increased the content of the negative electric group on the root by changing the proportion of components in the root, promoted the absorption of mineral nutrient elements and the accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, strengthened the fixation effect of the root on metal copper, and avoided its massive accumulation in the H. tuberosus body, so as to alleviate the inhibitory effect of copper on plant growth. The study revealed the physiological regulation of SA upon copper stress, and provided a theoretical basis for planting H. tuberosus to repair soil copper pollution.
Antioxidants ; Copper ; Helianthus/metabolism* ; Salicylic Acid/pharmacology* ; Chlorophyll A/pharmacology* ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Chlorophyll/pharmacology* ; Ascorbic Acid ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism* ; Photosynthesis ; Glutathione ; Plant Leaves ; Stress, Physiological ; Seedlings

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed structures, which have important functions in plants. However, their biogenesis, degradation, and function upon treatment with gibberellins (GAs) and auxins (1-naphthaleneacetic acid, NAA) remain unknown. Here, we systematically identified and characterized the expression patterns, evolutionary conservation, genomic features, and internal structures of circRNAs using RNase R-treated libraries from moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) seedlings. Moreover, we investigated the biogenesis of circRNAs dependent on both cis- and trans-regulation. We explored the function of circRNAs, including their roles in regulating microRNA (miRNA)-related genes and modulating the alternative splicing of their linear counterparts. Importantly, we developed a customized degradome sequencing approach to detect miRNA-mediated cleavage of circRNAs. Finally, we presented a comprehensive view of the participation of circRNAs in the regulation of hormone metabolism upon treatment of bamboo seedlings with GA and NAA. Collectively, our study provides insights into the biogenesis, function, and miRNA-mediated degradation of circRNAs in moso bamboo.
RNA, Circular/metabolism* ; Multiomics ; Poaceae/metabolism* ; Seedlings/genetics* ; Hormones/metabolism* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) in production is frequently exposed to inadequate light, which significantly affects its agronomic traits via inhibiting their physiological, metabolic and developmental processes. To explore the mechanism how the grape plants respond to the weak light stress, we used 'Yinhong' grape and examined their physiology-biochemistry characteristics and transcriptional profile under different levels of weak light stress. The results showed that grape seedlings upon low intensity shading treatments were not significantly affected. As the shading stress intensity was strengthened, the epidermis cells, palisade tissue, and spongy tissue in the leaves were thinner, the intercellular space between the palisade tissue and spongy tissue was larger compared with that of the control, and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase were decreased gradually. Additionally, the soluble protein content increased and the free proline content decreased gradually. Compared with the control, significant changes in plant photosynthetic characteristics and physiology-biochemistry characteristics were observed under high intensity of shading (80%). RNA-seq data showed that the differentially expressed genes between CK and T2, CK and T4, T2 and T4 were 13 913, 13 293 and 14 943, respectively. Most of the enrichment pathways were closely related with the plant's response to stress. Several signaling pathways in response to stress-resistance, e.g. JA/MYC2 pathway and MAPK signal pathway, were activated under weak light stress. The expression level of a variety of genes related to antioxidation (such as polyphenol oxidase and thioredoxin), photosynthesis (such as phytochrome) was altered under weak light stress, indicating that 'Yinhong' grape may activate the antioxidation related pathways to cope with reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, it may activate the expression of photosynthetic pigment and light reaction structural protein to maintain the photosynthesis activity. This research may help better understand the relevant physiological response mechanism and facilitate cultivation of grape seedlings under weak light.
Vitis/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Photosynthesis/genetics* ; Plant Leaves ; Light ; Seedlings/metabolism*

Salinity is the most important factor for the growth of crops. It is an effective method to alleviate the toxic effect caused by salt stress using saline-alkali-tolerant and growth-promoting bacteria in agriculture. Seven salt-tolerant bacteria were screened from saline-alkali soil, and the abilities of EPS production, alkalinity reduction and IAA production of the selected strains were investigated. A dominant strain DB01 was evaluated. The abilities of EPS production, alkalinity reduction and IAA production of strain DB01 were 0.21 g/g, 8.7% and 8.97 mg/L, respectively. The isolate was identified as Halomonas aquamarina by partial sequencing analysis of its 16S rRNA genes, and had the ability to inhibit the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp., Alternaria solani, Phytophthora sojae and Rhizoctonia cerealis. It also could promote root length and germination rate of wheat seedlings under salt stress. Halomonas aquamarina can provide theoretical basis for the development of soil microbial resources and the application in saline-alkali soil improvement.
Alkalies ; metabolism ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; genetics ; Halomonas ; genetics ; Plant Roots ; microbiology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Salt Tolerance ; genetics ; Seedlings ; growth & development ; microbiology ; Soil ; chemistry ; Soil Microbiology ; Triticum ; microbiology

Stomatal density is important for crop yield. In this paper, we studied the epidermal pattern factors (EPFs) related to stomatal development. Prokaryotic expression vectors were constructed to obtain EPFs. Then the relationship between EPFs and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was established. First, AtEPF1, AtEPF2 and AtEPFL9 were cloned and constructed to pET28a vectors. Then recombinant plasmids pET28a-AtEPF1, pET28a-AtEPF2 and pET28a-AtEPFL9 were digested and sequenced, showing successful construction. Finally, they were transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) separately and induced to express by isopropyl β-D-galactoside (IPTG). The optimized expression conditions including IPTG concentration (0.5, 0.3 and 0.05 mmol/L), temperature (28 °C, 28 °C and 16 °C) and induction time (16 h, 16 h and 20 h) were obtained. The bands of purified proteins were about 18 kDa, 19 kDa and 14.5 kDa, respectively. In order to identify their function, the purified AtEPF2 and AtEPFL9 were presented to Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Interestingly, the H2S production rate decreased or increased compared with the control, showing significant differences. That is, EPFs affected the production of endogenous H2S in plants. These results provide a foundation for further study of the relationship between H2S and EPFs on stomatal development, but also a possible way to increase the yield or enhance the stress resistance.
Arabidopsis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Arabidopsis Proteins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Seedlings ; metabolism

Study the growth and development process of rhizomes(bamboo-like part) of Notopterygium incisum and the changes of carbohydrate, endogenous hormones and secondary metabolites, and provide theoretical guidance for the formation of high-quality N. incisum medicinal commodities under artificial cultivation. The One-year-old seedlings were transplanted to the original habitat,and the growth and physiological characteristics of N. incisum were dynamically monitored. The results showed that: ① Seedlings transplanted to the original habitat in spring could form rhizomes(bamboo-like part) in the same year. ② After 60 days of transplantation, the root length and root diameter of underground part of N. incisum had increased rapidly, and carbohydrate content in roots and rhizomes had accumulated rapidly. After 120 days of transplantation, the roots and rhizomes of underground part had grown slowly, and starch content in roots and rhizomes increased continuously, while sucrose and total soluble sugar content decreased gradually. ③ The content of abscisic acid(ABA) in rhizomes decreased firstly and then increased, while the indole acetic acid(IAA) content stabilized firstly and then increased rapidly, and the contents of gibberellin(GA_3) and zeatin riboside(ZR) continued to increase. ④ The content of notopterol in rhizomes was higher than that in roots, while the content of isoimperatorin was lower than that in roots, but the total content of the both in rhizomes was higher than that in roots. Therefore, N. incisum can form rhizomes with high content of secondary metabolites under wild tending, and the growth and development of rhizomes are closely related to changes in carbohydrates and are regulated by related endogenous hormones.
Apiaceae/growth & development* ; Ecosystem ; Phytochemicals/analysis* ; Plant Roots/growth & development* ; Plants, Medicinal/growth & development* ; Rhizome/growth & development* ; Secondary Metabolism ; Seedlings/growth & development*

In this study, we evaluated the effect of the herbicide propyl 4-(2-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzylamino) benzoate (ZJ0273) on barley growth and explored the potential to trigger growth recovery through the application of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Barley plants were foliar-sprayed with various concentrations of ZJ0273 (100, 500, or 1000 mg/L) at the four-leaf stage. Increasing either the herbicide concentration or measurement time after herbicide treatment significantly impaired plant morphological parameters such as plant height and biomass, and affected physiological indexes, i.e. maximal photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m), quantum yield of photosystem II (Ф_PSII), net photosynthetic rate (P_n), and chlorophyll meter value (soil and plant analyzer development (SPAD)). Cellular injury of herbicide-treated plants was also evidenced by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidative enzyme activity. Elevated levels of herbicide significantly reduced the activity of acetolactate synthase (ALS)-a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of BCAAs. In a separate experiment, growth recovery in herbicide-stressed barley plants was studied using various concentrations of BCAAs (10, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L). Increasing BCAA concentration in growth media significantly increased the biomass of herbicide-stressed barley seedlings, but had no significant effect on non-stressed plants. Further, BCAAs (100 mg/L) significantly down-regulated ROS and consequently antioxidant enzyme levels in herbicide-stressed plants. Our results showed that exogenous application of BCAAs could reverse the inhibitory effects of ZJ0273 by restoring protein biosynthesis in barley seedlings.
Amino Acids, Branched-Chain/administration & dosage* ; Antioxidants/metabolism* ; Benzoates/pharmacology* ; Biomass ; Chlorophyll/metabolism* ; Herbicides/pharmacology* ; Hordeum/metabolism* ; Photosynthesis/drug effects* ; Plant Leaves/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Seedlings/metabolism*

In plants, lipoxygenases (LOXs) play a crucial role in biotic and abiotic stresses. In our previous study, five 13-LOX genes of oriental melon were regulated by abiotic stress but it is unclear whether the 9-LOX is involved in biotic and abiotic stresses. The promoter analysis revealed that CmLOX09 (type of 9-LOX) has hormone elements, signal substances, and stress elements. We analyzed the expression of CmLOX09 and its downstream genes-CmHPL and CmAOS-in the leaves of four-leaf stage seedlings of the oriental melon cultivar "Yumeiren" under wound, hormone, and signal substances. CmLOX09, CmHPL, and CmAOS were all induced by wounding. CmLOX09 was induced by auxin (indole acetic acid, IAA) and gibberellins (GA₃); however, CmHPL and CmAOS showed differential responses to IAA and GA₃. CmLOX09, CmHPL, and CmAOS were all induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), while being inhibited by abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA). CmLOX09, CmHPL, and CmAOS were all induced by the powdery mildew pathogen Podosphaera xanthii. The content of 2-hexynol and 2-hexenal in leaves after MeJA treatment was significantly higher than that in the control. After infection with P. xanthii, the diseased leaves of the oriental melon were divided into four levels-levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. The content of jasmonic acid (JA) in the leaves of levels 1 and 3 was significantly higher than that in the level 0 leaves. In summary, the results suggested that CmLOX09 might play a positive role in the response to MeJA through the hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) pathway to produce C6 alcohols and aldehydes, and in the response to P. xanthii through the allene oxide synthase (AOS) pathway to form JA.
Abscisic Acid ; Acetates/chemistry* ; Aldehyde-Lyases/metabolism* ; Aldehydes/chemistry* ; Cucurbitaceae/genetics* ; Cyclopentanes/chemistry* ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Hormones/metabolism* ; Hydrogen Peroxide/metabolism* ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases/metabolism* ; Lipoxygenase/metabolism* ; Oxylipins/chemistry* ; Plant Leaves/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Salicylic Acid/chemistry* ; Seedlings/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Stress, Physiological ; Transgenes

Smoke water and distillation liquid were used to treat the seeds of Trichosathes kirilowii and to study the effects of smoke water and distillation liquid on the seed germination and seedling growth of T. kirilowii. The results showed that germination rate, germination index and germination vigor of T. kirilowii all were significantly improved with the treatment of SW and DL treatment. The activity of α-amylase were significantly increased with the treatment of SW and DL at 1:2,000. SW and DL treatment showed no significant effects on the activity of SOD. The activity of POD were markedly enhanced under the treatment of SW (1:000) and DL (1:2,000). CAT activity were increased with the treatment of SW and DL at 1:2,000 while were inhibited by SW and DL at 1:500. Seedling height and root length were increased with the treatment of SW and DL (1:1,000, 1:2,000). SW and DL treaments improved the content of chlorophyll, and moreover with the concentration of SW and DL, the stimulatory were also increased. This work demonstrated that smoke water and diatillation liquid at 1:2,000 could stimulate the seed germination and seedling growth of T. kirilowii, and it provided the references for the study of seed germination technology.
Agriculture ; instrumentation ; methods ; Distillation ; Germination ; Seedlings ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Seeds ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Smoke ; analysis ; Trichosanthes ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Water ; chemistry ; metabolism