Drought significantly affects crop productivity and poses a considerable threat to agricultural ecosystems. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and plant microbiome play important roles in improving drought resistance and plant performance. However, the response of the rhizosphere microbiota to PGPB during the development of plants and the interaction between inoculum, microbiota, and plants under drought stress remain to be explored. In the present study, we used culturomic, microbiomic, and metabonomic analyses to uncover the mechanisms by which Sphingomonas sp. Hbc-6, a PGPB, promotes Arabidopsis growth and enhances drought resistance. We found that the rhizosphere microbiome assembly was interactively influenced by developmental stage, Hbc-6, and drought; the bacterial composition exhibited three patterns of shifts with developmental stage: resilience, increase, and decrease. Drought diminished microbial diversity and richness, whereas Hbc-6 increased microbial diversity and helped plants recruit specific beneficial bacterial taxa at each developmental stage, particularly during the bolting stage. Some microorganisms enriched by Hbc-6 had the potential to promote carbon and nitrogen cycling processes, and 86.79% of the isolated strains exhibited PGP characteristics (for example Pseudomonas sp. TA9). They jointly regulated plant physiological metabolism (i.e., upregulated drought resistant-facilitating substances and reduced harmful substances), thereby stimulating the growth of Arabidopsis and increasing plant biomass under drought stress conditions. Collectively, these results indicate that Hbc-6 mediates plant growth and drought resistance by affecting the microbiome. The study thus provides novel insights and strain resources for drought-resistant, high-yielding crop cultivation and breeding.

Germination of aged seeds may be associated with specific metabolic changes. The objective of this study was to examine physiological and metabolic alterations before and after germination of control and aged oat (Avena sativa) seeds. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and the level of storage compounds were measured in the embryo and endosperm at 0, 4, 16, and 32 h of imbibition for control seeds and 0, 4, 16, 32, and 60 h of imbibition for medium vigor seeds after artificially accelerated aging; metabolomic changes were determined in embryos at 16 and 32 h of seed imbibition. In aged oat seeds, superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity increased in the late imbibition stage. The content of soluble sugars decreased significantly in the later stages of imbibition, while the content of proteins increased in 32 h of seed imbibition eventually producing mannitol and proline. The mobilization of fat in deteriorated seeds was mainly through the sphingolipid metabolic pathway generated by cell growth-promoting dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate. Ascorbic acid, avenanthramide and proline levels increased significantly at 60 h of imbibition, playing an important role in the germination of aged oat seeds.

为客观评价老芒麦(Elymus sibiricus L.)种质资源农艺性状的遗传多样性及筛选核心种质,本试验对76份老芒麦种质资源的9个农艺性状连续两年开展评价分析.结果表明:9个性状在两年间均呈正态分布,7个性状变异系数大于10％,说明种质资源具有丰富的遗传多样性;相关性分析发现,牧草产量性状间和种子产量性状间存在显著的正相关(P<0.05);因子分析结果显示,长穂因子、种子数因子和叶片数因子特征值均大于1.通过隶属函数综合评价,筛选出3份牧草产量性状优异的种质,5份种子产量性状综合评价高的种质.聚类分析将76份种质分为优势类、良好类及后备类3大类群,最终筛选出编号为8,13,20,27及41的种质可以作为育种的候选亲本或后备核心种质.

Drought poses a serious threat to plant growth. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have great potential to improve plant nutrition, yield, and drought tolerance. Sphingomonas is an important microbiota genus that is extensively distributed in the plant or rhizosphere. However, the knowledge of its plant growth-promoting function in dry regions is extremely limited. In this study, we investigated the effects of PGPB Sphingomonas sp. Hbc-6 on maize under normal conditions and drought stress. We found that Hbc-6 increased the biomass of maize under normal conditions and drought stress. For instance, the root fresh weight and shoot dry weight of inoculated maize increased by 39.1% and 34.8% respectively compared with non-inoculated plant, while they increased by 61.3% and 96.3% respectively under drought conditions. Hbc-6 also promoted seed germination, maintained stomatal morphology and increased chlorophyll content so as to enhance photosynthesis of plants. Hbc-6 increased antioxidant enzyme (catalase, superoxide, peroxidase) activities and osmoregulation substances (proline, soluble sugar) and up-regulated the level of beneficial metabolites (resveratrol, etc.). Moreover, Hbc-6 reshaped the maize rhizosphere bacterial community, increased its richness and diversity, and made the rhizosphere bacterial community more complex to resist stress; Hbc-6 could also recruit more potentially rhizosphere beneficial bacteria which might promote plant growth together with Hbc-6 both under normal and drought stress. In short, Hbc-6 increased maize biomass and drought tolerance through the above ways. Our findings lay a foundation for exploring the complex mechanisms of interactions between Sphingomonas and plants, and it is important that Sphingomonas sp. Hbc-6 can be used as a potential biofertilizer in agricultural production, which will assist finding new solutions for improving the growth and yield of crops in arid areas.

种子销售前必须进行严格的质量检测.虽然传统的检测方法应用较成熟,但存在耗时、费力,且会对种子造成损伤等问题.基于计算机视觉的多光谱成像技术是新兴的种子质量检测技术,具有快速、准确、无损的优点.本研究概述了目前多光谱成像技术在种子质检工作中的应用,包括种及品种测定、种子净度分析、种子转基因检测、种子健康鉴定、种子生活力及活力测定,并对该技术未来在种子质检工作中的应用进行了展望.

The goal of this study was to identify the zoysiagrass rust pathogens and to analyze the differences in rust-resistant and rust-susceptible Zoysia japonica germplasm upon inoculation. Based on the assessment of spore morphology and 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) molecular identification, the zoysiagrass rust pathogen was identified as Puccinia zoysiae Diet. The development of mycelium, the rate of spreading, and the timing of spore production were more delayed in the rust-resistant (RR) genotype than the rust-susceptible (RS) genotype. After inoculation, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) initially decreased, then increased in both the RR and RS genotypes, but the increased enzyme activities were faster in the RR than in the RS genotype. Rust resistance was positively correlated with antioxidant enzyme activity. The observed changes in CAT, POD and APX activity corresponded to their gene expression levels. The results of this study may be utilized in accurately evaluating the damage of rust disease and rust-resistance in zoysiagrass germplasm aimed at breeding the rust-resistant zoysiagrass varieties and improving disease management of zoysiagrass turf.

种子萌发是植物生命的开端,此过程需要多种贮藏物质的动员来提供营养及能量,贮藏物质对种子萌发至关重要.本文概述了种子萌发所需主要贮藏物质(糖类、蛋白质、脂肪、磷)在种子萌发中的作用、动员情况和代谢变化规律,并与经劣变(老化)后的种子进行比较,从贮藏物质角度解析劣变对种子萌发和活力的影响,并对该领域未来的研究方向进行了展望.相关结果对于从多角度全面解析和研究种子萌发和劣变机制具有非常重要的理论指导意义.