Soil salinity severely threatens global agriculture and turfgrass production. Festuca rubra L. (red fescue) is a widely cultivated turfgrass valued for its resilience and soil stabilization capacity. However, molecular responses to salt stress in red fescue remain poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the transcriptomic mechanisms underlying salt-induced inhibition of root growth in red fescue. Salt stress markedly inhibits root growth in F. rubra, whereas shoot length did not differ significantly between control and salt-treated plants. Transcriptomic analysis identified approximately 88,000 differentially expressed transcripts under salt stress. Upregulated genes were significantly enriched in functions related to folate-dependent methionine synthesis, suberin biosynthesis, beta-fructofuranosidase activity, and gibberellin response, suggesting metabolic, structural adjustments and hormone signaling may contribute to salt stress adaptation and root growth responses. In contrast, genes associated with sugar signaling, alkaloid biosynthesis and metabolism, mRNA splicing, the PI3K and ABA-related biological processes were downregulated, indicating broad reprogramming of metabolic, post-transcriptional, and signaling pathways. These findings shed light on the molecular basis of root-specific salt stress responses in F. rubra. This study enhances our understanding of its adaptive strategies under saline conditions.
Soil salinisation is an increasing threat to global rice production, particularly during early developmental stages when seedlings are highly susceptible to osmotic and ionic stress. Halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria (HT-PGPB) offer a sustainable strategy to enhance crop performance in salt-affected environments. In this study, five HT-PGPB strains, namely Vibrio rumoiensis S-1, Vibrio ostreae OG9-811, Vibrio xiamenensis G21, Halomonas aquamarina DSM30161, and Breoghania corrubedonensis UBF-P1, were isolated from hydro-halophytic plants inhabiting coastal ecosystems and evaluated for their plant growth-promoting potential in rice. All isolates exhibited multiple beneficial traits, including biological nitrogen fixation, indole-3-acetic acid production, phosphate solubilisation, siderophore production, and ACC deaminase activity. Under saline conditions, inoculation of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. MR219) significantly improved seed germination, seedling vigour, root development, and biomass accumulation compared with uninoculated controls. Growth-promoting effects were maintained under salinity levels of up to 150 mM NaCl, demonstrating substantial stress tolerance and functional activity of the isolates. Enhanced fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity in the rhizosphere further indicated successful bacterial establishment and increased microbial activity following inoculation. These findings demonstrate that halophyte-associated HT-PGPB can effectively alleviate salinity-induced growth inhibition in rice through multiple complementary mechanisms. This study provides the first report of these bacterial species as potential biofertilizers for Malaysian rice cultivation and highlights their promise as sustainable microbial inoculants for improving crop productivity in salt-affected agroecosystems.
World Health Organization has recognized artemisinin-based drugs for the treatment of cerebral malaria, a life-threatening disease. Artemisinin is present in Artemisia annua leaves in very small amount (< 1
The cultivars of kiwifruit that are sold commercially are highly sought after for their flavour and unique appearance. The advantages of kiwifruits for health are thoroughly established in the literature; they are not only packed with nutrients but also promote immunity, digestion, and metabolism. The evolution of genomics has facilitated the cloning of various essential ripening genes through positional and candidate-gene approaches, thereby creating genetic and molecular tools. These discoveries have opened up new avenues for research into the fundamental ripening control mechanisms, including the transcription factors required for the development of almost all ripening processes. The control of kiwifruit ripening has received significant scientific attention, primarily because it impacts the shelf life and quality of juicy fruits. Hormones, environmental cues, transcription factors, and other variables all influence the ripening of fruit. The current review further offers information on the recent field of study involving kiwifruit ripening controlling genes. Here, we provide a thorough review of the most recent advancements in the processes governing kiwifruit fruit ripening via various transcription factors. Moreover, it appears from the literature that various gene families like GGPs, WRKY, EIN2, EIN3/EILs, LOX, CTR1 and ERFs are involved in ethylene mediated signal transduction. This review has emphasised the role of transcription factors associated to ethylene and auxin in ripening regulation. It’s interesting to note that some transcription factors control ripening directly by targeting genes linked to ripening in kiwifruit. This review will enable us to offer suggestions to researchers and scholars that are based on data from the scientific community.
Soil salinity is frequently characterized by pronounced spatial heterogeneity, such that distinct portions of the same root system may be simultaneously exposed to markedly contrasting salt concentrations. Nevertheless, the mechanisms through which plant responses to localized salinity remain insufficiently understood. In this study, cucumber seedlings were grown in a split-root system and subjected to four NaCl regimes: 0/0, 50/50, 0/100, and 100/100 mM. Compared with the homogeneous 50/50 mM treatment, the heterogeneous 0/100 mM treatment resulted in better shoot growth, higher chlorophyll content, and improved root performance. Localized salinity also reduced Na⁺ accumulation in leaves, increased K⁺ content, and maintained a lower Na⁺/K⁺ ratio. In addition, cucumber seedlings exposed to heterogeneous salinity showed stronger antioxidant responses, including higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), together with lower malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. Split-root treatment further induced asymmetric root growth, with enhanced root development on the non-saline side. To explore the molecular basis of these responses, expression profiles of the CsHAK gene family were analyzed. Several CsHAK genes were upregulated under localized salinity, and five genes in leaves (CsHAK2, CsHAK5, CsHAK8, CsHAK9, and CsHAK10) and five in roots (CsHAK2, CsHAK4, CsHAK8, CsHAK10, and CsHAK11) were identified as responsive candidates under localized salinity. These results indicate that localized root-zone salinity alleviates salt injury in cucumber and that this response is associated with improved K⁺/Na⁺ balance, enhanced antioxidant defense, and altered expression of selected CsHAK genes.
