The Enhancement of Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis Plants Induced by Pretreatment with Sulfur Dioxide

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.21203/rs.3.rs-627672/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lijuan Li ◽

Huilan Yi

Keyword(s):

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Drought Tolerance ◽

Photosynthetic Pigment ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Sulfur Assimilation ◽

Plant Photosynthesis ◽

Regulation Mechanisms ◽

Leaf Water Loss ◽

Use Efficiency

Abstract Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a common air pollutant that has multiple effects on plants. Here, the effect of prior exposure to SO2 on the improvements of drought tolerance and possible regulation mechanisms were investigated in Arabidopsis plants. The experimental results showed that pre-exposure to 30 mg/m3 SO2 for 72 h could reduce leaf water loss, and enhance the drought tolerance of Arabidopsis plants. SO2 pre-exposure decreased leaf stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) but increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn), water use efficiency (iWUE) and photosynthetic pigment contents under drought conditions. Importantly, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were significantly increased, while the contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased in SO2-pretreated Arabidopsis plants under drought stress. Additionally, the activity of o-acetylserine(thio)lyase (OASTL) and the content of cysteine (Cys), the rate-limiting enzyme and the first organic product of sulfur assimilation, were increased significantly in drought-stressed plants after SO2 pretreatment, along with the increases of other thiol-containing compounds glutathione (GSH) and non-protein thiol (NPT). Meanwhile, SO2 pre-exposure induced a higher level of proline accumulation, accompanied by the increased activity of proline synthase P5CS, the decreased activity of proline dehydrogenase ProDH and the corresponding alteration of gene transcription. Collectively, the enhanced drought tolerance afforded by SO2 might be related to the improvement of plant photosynthesis, antioxidant defense, sulfur assimilation and osmotic adjustment. These findings provide new insights in understanding the role of SO2 in plant adaptation to environmental stress.

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Role of kaolin on drought tolerance and nut quality of Persian walnut

Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jssas.2021.05.002 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mojtaba Mahmoudian ◽

Majid Rahemi ◽

Soheil Karimi ◽

Navid Yazdani ◽

Zahra Tajdini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Tolerance ◽

Persian Walnut

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Role of interleukins in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis

Cell Death Discovery ◽

10.1038/s41420-021-00437-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yi Xin She ◽

Qing Yang Yu ◽

Xiao Xiao Tang

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Therapeutic Strategy ◽

Future Directions ◽

Regulation Mechanisms ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Multiple Cells ◽

The Relationship

AbstractInterleukins, a group of cytokines participating in inflammation and immune response, are proved to be involved in the formation and development of pulmonary fibrosis. In this article, we reviewed the relationship between interleukins and pulmonary fibrosis from the clinical, animal, as well as cellular levels, and discussed the underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Despite the effects of interleukin-targeted treatment on experimental pulmonary fibrosis, clinical applications are lacking and unsatisfactory. We conclude that intervening in one type of interleukins with similar functions in IPF may not be enough to stop the development of fibrosis as it involves a complex network of regulation mechanisms. Intervening interleukins combined with other existing therapy or targeting interleukins affecting multiple cells/with different functions at the same time may be one of the future directions. Furthermore, the intervention time is critical as some interleukins play different roles at different stages. Further elucidation on these aspects would provide new perspectives on both the pathogenesis mechanism, as well as the therapeutic strategy and drug development.

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Above- and belowground biodiversity jointly tighten the P cycle in agricultural grasslands

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-24714-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yvonne Oelmann ◽

Markus Lange ◽

Sophia Leimer ◽

Christiane Roscher ◽

Felipe Aburto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Management Intensity ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Grassland Productivity ◽

Global Biodiversity ◽

Diverse Plant ◽

Management Effects ◽

P Cycle

AbstractExperiments showed that biodiversity increases grassland productivity and nutrient exploitation, potentially reducing fertiliser needs. Enhancing biodiversity could improve P-use efficiency of grasslands, which is beneficial given that rock-derived P fertilisers are expected to become scarce in the future. Here, we show in a biodiversity experiment that more diverse plant communities were able to exploit P resources more completely than less diverse ones. In the agricultural grasslands that we studied, management effects either overruled or modified the driving role of plant diversity observed in the biodiversity experiment. Nevertheless, we show that greater above- (plants) and belowground (mycorrhizal fungi) biodiversity contributed to tightening the P cycle in agricultural grasslands, as reduced management intensity and the associated increased biodiversity fostered the exploitation of P resources. Our results demonstrate that promoting a high above- and belowground biodiversity has ecological (biodiversity protection) and economical (fertiliser savings) benefits. Such win-win situations for farmers and biodiversity are crucial to convince farmers of the benefits of biodiversity and thus counteract global biodiversity loss.

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A near-infrared fluorescent probe targeting mitochondria for sulfite detection and its application in food and biology

Analytical Methods ◽

10.1039/d1ay00918d ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jianbin Chao ◽

Zhuo Wang ◽

Yongbin Zhang ◽

Fangjun Huo ◽

Caixia Yin

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

Sulfur Dioxide ◽

Human Health ◽

Fluorescent Probe ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Great Harm

Abstract: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is the main air pollutant in the environment, causing great harm to human health. Abnormal SO2 levels are usually associated with some respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases,...

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Silicon dioxide nanofertilizers improve photosynthetic capacity of two Criollo cocoa clones (Theobroma cacao L.)

Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0014479721000065 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Pedro Gómez-Vera ◽

Héctor Blanco-Flores ◽

Ana Marta Francisco ◽

Jimmy Castillo ◽

Wilmer Tezara

Keyword(s):

Silicon Dioxide ◽

Physiological Response ◽

Photosynthetic Capacity ◽

Foliar Application ◽

Photosynthetic Pigment ◽

Photochemical Activity ◽

Total Soluble Protein ◽

Nutrient Contents ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Positive Effect

Summary Studies on the effect of nanofertilizers (NF) in physiological performance of plants is scarce, especially that related to substances encapsulated into silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles in cocoa plants. The effect of foliar application of SiO2-NF on nutrient contents, gas exchange, photochemical activity, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble protein (TSP), photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), and growth in seedlings of two cocoa clones (OC-61 and BR-05) in a greenhouse was assessed. Spraying with SiO2-NF increased net photosynthetic rate (A) by 16 and 60% and electron transport rate (J) by 52 and 162% in clones OC-61 and BR-05, respectively, without changes in photosynthetic pigment concentration in either clone. The SiO2-NF caused a decrease of 37 and 22% in stomatal conductance in OC-61 and BR-05, respectively; a similar trend was observed in transpiration rate, causing an increase of 42 and 100% in water use efficiency in OC-61 and BR-05, respectively. In both clones, diameter of graft increased on average 28% with SiO2-NF. Higher photosynthetic capacity was related to an increase in leaf N, P, and TSP. A significant reduction in PNUE (A/N ratio) was found in OC-61, whereas in BR-05 PNUE increased after spraying with SiO2-NF. Overall, spraying with SiO2-NF had a positive effect on photosynthetic processes in both cocoa clones, associated with an increase in nutrients content, which translated into improved growth. A differential physiological response to spraying with SiO2-NF between clones was also found, with BR-05 being the clone with a better physiological response during the establishment and development stages.

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Spermine: Its Emerging Role in Regulating Drought Stress Responses in Plants

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10020261 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 261

Author(s):

Md. Mahadi Hasan ◽

Milan Skalicky ◽

Mohammad Shah Jahan ◽

Md. Nazmul Hossain ◽

Zunaira Anwar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

Drought Tolerance ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Abiotic Stresses ◽

Defense Mechanisms ◽

Antioxidant Defense ◽

Severe Drought ◽

New Information ◽

Effects Of Drought

In recent years, research on spermine (Spm) has turned up a lot of new information about this essential polyamine, especially as it is able to counteract damage from abiotic stresses. Spm has been shown to protect plants from a variety of environmental insults, but whether it can prevent the adverse effects of drought has not yet been reported. Drought stress increases endogenous Spm in plants and exogenous application of Spm improves the plants’ ability to tolerate drought stress. Spm’s role in enhancing antioxidant defense mechanisms, glyoxalase systems, methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification, and creating tolerance for drought-induced oxidative stress is well documented in plants. However, the influences of enzyme activity and osmoregulation on Spm biosynthesis and metabolism are variable. Spm interacts with other molecules like nitric oxide (NO) and phytohormones such as abscisic acid, salicylic acid, brassinosteroids, and ethylene, to coordinate the reactions necessary for developing drought tolerance. This review focuses on the role of Spm in plants under severe drought stress. We have proposed models to explain how Spm interacts with existing defense mechanisms in plants to improve drought tolerance.

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Circular Bioeconomy Research for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations, Gaps, and Actions

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041926 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1926 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shiferaw Feleke ◽

Steven Michael Cole ◽

Haruna Sekabira ◽

Rousseau Djouaka ◽

Victor Manyong

Keyword(s):

Gap Analysis ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

International Institute ◽

The Public ◽

Secondary Sources ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Sub Saharan

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has applied the concept of ‘circular bioeconomy’ to design solutions to address the degradation of natural resources, nutrient-depleted farming systems, hunger, and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Over the past decade, IITA has implemented ten circular bioeconomy focused research for development (R4D) interventions in several countries in the region. This article aims to assess the contributions of IITA’s circular bioeconomy focused innovations towards economic, social, and environmental outcomes using the outcome tracking approach, and identify areas for strengthening existing circular bioeconomy R4D interventions using the gap analysis method. Data used for the study came from secondary sources available in the public domain. Results indicate that IITA’s circular bioeconomy interventions led to ten technological innovations (bio-products) that translated into five economic, social, and environmental outcomes, including crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Our gap analysis identified eight gaps leading to a portfolio of five actions needed to enhance the role of circular bioeconomy in SSA. The results showcase the utility of integrating a circular bioeconomy approach in R4D work, especially how using such an approach can lead to significant economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The evidence presented can help inform the development of a framework to guide circular bioeconomy R4D at IITA and other research institutes working in SSA. Generating a body of evidence on what works, including the institutional factors that create enabling environments for circular bioeconomy approaches to thrive, is necessary for governments and donors to support circular bioeconomy research that will help solve some of the most pressing challenges in SSA as populations grow and generate more waste, thus exacerbating a changing climate using the linear economy model.

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