Amorphophallus spp., valued as both crops and medicinal plants, are highly susceptible to soft rot disease, causing substantial yield and economic losses during cultivation and storage. Calcium nanoparticle (CaNP) fertilizer not only has the potential to enhance crop yields but also plays a crucial role in the control of crop pests and diseases. However, its application in the control of soft rot disease in konjac has not yet been investigated. In this study, the antibacterial efficacy of CaNP fertilizer against the typical soft rot pathogen P. aroidearum MY11 in Amorphophallus konjac (A. konjac) was investigated. It was found that CaNP fertilizer significantly inhibited the growth, motility ability and the activity of cell wall-degrading exoenzymes of P. aroidearum MY11. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the morphology of bacterial cells treated with CaNPs did not change significantly, but significant particle deposition was observed within the cells. Furthermore, CaNPs pretreatment could reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, activate the antioxidant enzyme system, and enhance the photosynthetic capacity of A. konjac plants. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that CaNPs pretreatment might enhance the resistance of A. konjac plants to the soft rot pathogen MY11 by activating the jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway and the cell wall stress response pathway. This research provides a new candidate for nanopesticides that can be used to control the bacterial soft rot disease of konjac.

Bamboo represents a promising energy crop; however, its industrial utilization is limited by the complex recalcitrance of its cell walls. A comprehensive understanding of bamboo recalcitrance mechanisms and their biosynthetic regulation is essential for efficient lignocellulosic conversion. Here, we employed paraffin sectioning, confocal Raman imaging, 2D HSQC NMR, and transcriptomic profiling to investigate the recalcitrance dynamics across different developmental stages and strains of D. farinosus. The results revealed that enhanced recalcitrance is primarily attributed to the migration of high-concentration enzymatic substrates and increased cell wall compactness. Additionally, lignin polymerization and the formation of C-C bonds contribute to resistance, whereas increased hemicellulose side chains tend to weaken recalcitrance. Cellulose structure emerged as the core determinant of recalcitrance, with increased cellulose crystallinity (XK8 increased by -4.5 %, XK12 increased by 16.4 %, XK23 increased by 31.9 %) significantly enhancing recalcitrance. This indicates that cellulose structure defines the recalcitrance of D. farinosus. Transcriptomic analysis further demonstrated that upregulated structural polysaccharide biosynthesis pathways may enhance cellulose crystallinity, thereby reducing enzymatic saccharification efficiency. Notably, Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) treatment reconstructed cellulose matrices, significantly weakening recalcitrance. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for breeding low-recalcitrance bamboo germplasms and advancing bamboo biorefinery technologies.

Although bamboo can be an ideal raw material for pulp and paper industry, the depolymerization of its complex polymers needs to be facilitated. The deposition of lignin is influenced by cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of monolignol precursors. Here, we identified 18 DfCAD genes in Dendrocalamus farinosus and revealed using bioinformatics methods, DfCAD16 functions as the primary enzyme in the synthesis pathway of guaiacyl (G)-lignin. Phenotypic analysis of plants overexpression DfCAD16 exhibited remarkable increasing in G-lignin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that an R2R3-type MYB transcription factor DfMYB12 could directly bind to the promoter region of DfCAD16 and activate its expression both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings revealed that DfMYB12-DfCAD16 is a key regulatory factor governing G-lignin biosynthesis in D. farinosus. These insights can be used for improving bamboo varieties for pulp production.

As the primary trophic resource for giant pandas, bamboo forms the ecological and nutritional basis of their survival. In sharp contrast, phytopathogenic fungi undermine this foundation by degrading the structural and biochemical integrity of bamboo, thereby precipitating a nutritional cascade that directly affects panda health. This review positions itself at the interface between microbial ecology and conservation biology to discuss the mechanistic interactions between fungal pathogens and their bamboo hosts, with an emphasis on the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass and the mechanisms by which fungal pathogens evade the plant defense systems. Despite the urgent ecological imperatives, symbiotic and pathogenic interactions within the bamboo-fungus system remain understudied, particularly regarding species-specific virulence patterns and bamboo resilience. Furthermore, we discuss how anthropogenic climate change and pollution redefine pathogen-host synchrony, reshape microbial community structures, and sometimes increase disease severity. A critical assessment of the current spectrum of control paradigms from chemical fungicides to biological antagonists reveals an urgent need for integrated approaches balancing disease mitigation with ecological sustainability. Finally, we propose a cross-disciplinary conservation framework grounded in Integrated Disease Management (IDM) and suggest that harmonizing microbial ecology with biodiversity conservation can provide sustainable, evidence-based solutions. This integrative model clarifies how fungal pathogenesis in bamboo triggers nutritional decline in pandas, and outlines ecosystem-based management strategies to restore bamboo health and ensure panda survival.

Dehydration-Responsive Element Binding Protein 2C (DREB2C) is a vital transcription factor that responds to drought, cold and heat stresses in Arabidopsis. Previous studies have suggested that DREB2C might be involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, but the detailed molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we find that DREB2C positively regulates ABA-mediated seed germination and root elongation. Degradation assays show that the degradation of DREB2C relies on the 26S proteasome pathway and ABA promotes the accumulation of DREB2C. Further analyses confirm that two novel E3 ligases DREB2C-Degrading E3 Ligase 1/2 (DEL1/2) interact with DREB2C and mediate its ubiquitination. Functional analyses demonstrate that DEL1 or DEL2 negatively regulates ABA-mediated seed germination and root elongation, while overexpression of DEL1 or DEL2 in DREB2C-overexpressing lines results in reduced ABA hypersensitivity. Genetic analysis indicates that DEL1 and DEL2 function redundantly in the degradation of DREB2C and act upstream of DREB2C in the ABA signaling pathway. In addition, DREB2C directly binds to the promoters of DEL1 and DEL2 and activates their expression, thereby shutting down the transmission of ABA signals. Collectively, we uncover a novel feedback regulatory loop between DREB2C and DEL1/DEL2 that balances the initial growth stage and ABA responses in Arabidopsis.

Amorphophallus konjac, as a significant representative of the Araceae family, demonstrates considerable potential for applications in medicine, healthcare, food, industry, and bioenergy due to its rich content of konjac glucomannan (KGM). However, the synthetic pathway of KGM remains largely unclear. Although genomic sequencing has been completed for various representative Araceae plants, including Amorphophallus konjac, a comprehensive data platform for deep analysis and exploration of the functions of these genes is lacking. In the current work, genomic and transcriptomic data from multiple Araceae species were integrated, and a database, AraceaeDB (http://www.araceaedb.com/), was constructed specifically for analyzing and comparing gene functions in Araceae plants. The gene functions in the database were annotated in detail, and their ortholog groups were identified and classified into different functional modules based on their expression patterns across various transcriptomic datasets. Multiple functional genomics analysis tools were developed, including OrthoGroup analysis, BLAST search, co-expression analysis, KEGG/GO enrichment analysis, and the JBrowse visualization tool. Moreover, the database incorporates several medicinally significant bioactive compounds traditionally important in the Araceae family, providing target prediction capabilities for these compounds. Furthermore, the major biosynthetic pathway of KGM has been successfully elucidated through these database resources, and a key gene AkCSL3 has been identified. It has been further confirmed that overexpression of AkCSL3 can significantly increase the content of KGM, suggesting its potential crucial role in the polymerization process of glucomannan in konjac corms.

IntroductionVariability in microbial residues within soil aggregates are becoming progressively essential to the nutritive and sustainability of soils, and are therefore broadly regarded as an indispensable part of soil organic matter. It is unexplored how the widespread implementation of microbial fertilisers in agricultural production impacts soil organic nutrients, in particular the microbial residue fraction.MethodsWe performed a three-year field experiment to verify the distinct impacts of microbial and organic fertilizers on carbon accumulation in soil microbial leftovers among aggregate fractions.ResultsMicrobial residual carbon was shown to decrease insignificantly during the application of microbial fertilizer and to rise marginally afterwards with the utilization of organic fertilizer. However, the combined effects of the two fertilizers had substantial impacts on the accumulation of microbial residual carbon. Changes in the structure of the fungi and bacteria shown in this study have implications for the short-term potential of microbial fertilizer shortages to permanent soil carbon sequestration. Additionally, our findings revealed variations in microbial residue accumulation across the microbial fertilizers, with Azotobacter chroococcum fertilizer being preferable to Bacillus mucilaginosus fertilizer due to its higher efficiency. In this scenario of nutrient addition, fungal residues may serve as the primary binding component or focal point for the production of new microaggregates, since the quantity of SOC provided by fungal residues increased while that supplied by bacterial residues decreased.DiscussionOur findings collectively suggested that the mechanisms behind the observed bacterial and fungal MRC (microbial residue carbon) responses to microbial fertilizer or organic fertilizer in bamboo forest soils are likely to be distinct. The application of microbial fertilizers for a limited duration led to a decline soil stable carbon pool, potentially influencing the regulation of soil nutrients in such hilly bamboo forests.

The rapid growth of Bamboo made the uptake and allocation of nitrogen much important. Nitrate is the main form that plant utilized nitrogen by nitrate transporters (NRTs) as well as ammonium salt. In this study, we identified 155 DfNRT genes which mapped to 32 chromosomes out of 35 chromosomes in Dendrocalamus farinosus. Collinearity analysis showed most NRT genes in D. farinosus paired with NRT genes in D. farinosus and P. edulis, which another two sequenced woody bamboo species, and the divergence was similar to the woody bamboo whole-genome duplication event. Through the 15N-nitrate trace analysis, we found that the nitrogen absorbed by roots in D. farinosus was preferentially distributed to above-ground parts, especially transported to leaves. DfNPF2.13 and DfNPF6.9 exhibited higher expression in leaf, and upregulated with extra N supply, suggesting they might be participating in N allocation between leaves in D. farinosus. This study provides a foundation for understanding the mechanism of nitrate transport and distribution in bamboo, and provide valuable information for improving bamboo nitrate absorption and promoting efficient nitrogen utilization.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is a highly valuable woody bamboo species. A better understanding of its regulation of lignin deposition would significantly benefit its cultivation and breeding. Here, we identified PeMYB26, a transcription factor gene that is primarily expressed in the vascular system and induced by drought stresses. PeMYB26 encodes an R2R3-MYB transcriptional activator that localizes to the nucleus. Heterologous expression of PeMYB26 under control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35 S promoter in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants made the width of xylem doubled compared with control line. In addition, the content of lignin and thickness of vessel elements also were improved by over-expression of PeMYB26. Moreover, transcript abundances of the lignin biosynthesis genes PAL(PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA-LYASE), CAD (CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE), COMT (CAFFEATE O-METHYLTRANSFERASE) and CCR (CINNAMOYL CoA REDUCTASE) were markedly higher in N. tabacum lines overexpressing PeMYB26 than in control lines. In particular, the expression of PeCCR was highly promoted by PeMYB26. These results indicate that PeMYB26 plays a positive role in regulating lignin accumulation and xylem formation.

Bamboo, as a timber plant, holds significant environmental and economic value. Dendrocalamus farinosus is particularly valuable as it serves both as a source of bamboo shoots and timber, offering high yield, strong disease resistance, and superior fiber quality. Our previous study demonstrated that bio-organic fertilizers promoted the growth of D. farinosus and significantly altered the cellulose and lignin content, key components of the secondary cell wall in culms. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to uncover the potential mechanisms by which bio-organic fertilizers affect the secondary cell wall biosynthesis in D. farinosus. A total of 1,437 metabolites were identified, with 20 differential metabolites significantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway in bamboo shoots (7 upregulated; 13 downregulated). We identified 8,075 differentially expressed genes in bamboo shoots, including 72 genes potentially involved in lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis (6 upregulated; 66 downregulated). In internodes, we identified 5,324 differentially expressed genes, including 83 genes potentially involved in secondary cell wall biosynthesis (43 upregulated; 39 downregulated). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validated the expression patterns of 8 key genes in internodes. The results suggest that bio-organic fertilizers may affect secondary cell wall biosynthesis in internodes by inhibiting the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway in D. farinosus shoots. Our study offers insights into the efficient utilization of bamboo and lignocellulosic biomass, serving as a valuable resource for future research.

As a regulator of actin filament turnover, Arabidopsis thaliana CAP1 plays an important role in plant growth and development. Here, we analyzed the phenotypes of two Arabidopsis cap1 mutants: cap1-1 (a T-DNA insertion mutant) and Cas9-CAP1 (generated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing). Phenotypic analysis demonstrated that loss of CAP1 results in defects in seed germination and seedling morphology, with some seedlings exhibiting one or three cotyledons. The cap1-1 mutant took longer than the wild type to complete its life cycle, but its flowering time was normal, indicating that loss of CAP1 prolongs reproductive but not vegetative growth. Moreover, loss of CAP1 severely reduces seed production in self-pollinated plants, due to disruption of pollen tube elongation. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that CAP1 may be involved in osmotic stress responses. Indeed, the cap1-1 mutant showed increased tolerance of salt and mannitol treatment, indicating that CAP1 plays a negative role in osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. Taken together, our results demonstrate that CAP1 functions not only in plant growth and development, but also in Arabidopsis responses to osmotic stress.

为全面了解毛竹中扩展蛋白的分子特征和表达模式,本研究利用生物信息学方法在毛竹基因组中共鉴定出43个扩展蛋白基因家族成员,属于4个亚家族(EXPA、EXPB、EXLA和EXLB),分别包含18、17、7和1个成员,分布在37个Scaffold上.除PeEXPA1没有内含子和PeEXLB1含有11个内含子外,其它毛竹扩展蛋白基因的内含子为1～5个.毛竹扩展蛋白基因编码蛋白长度为91～508个氨基酸,所有的氨基酸都具有高频密码子,大部分蛋白为碱性亲水性蛋白.大部分毛竹扩展蛋白二级结构中β转角占比例最少,而β折叠占比例最大,各亚家族多数成员具有类似的三级结构.qRT-PCR结果表明,18个EXPA亚家族成员在不同组织表达存在明显差异,除PeEXPA2、PeEXPA6外其它基因表达的最高值均出现在叶片中,表明它们可能在叶片生长过程中发挥着重要作用.

非木造浆是解决国内纸浆短缺的重要手段.慈竹(Bambusa emeiensis)是我国非木造浆的主要原材料之一,提高慈竹中纤维素的含量能够有效提高竹类造浆的效率.通过前期对慈竹进行的转录组测序分析,挖掘出慈竹中一个与植物中纤维素合酶亚基A(cellulose synthase A,CesA)同源的基因,命名为BeCesA4.结果显示,克隆出的BeCesA4基因编码一个含有982个氨基酸的蛋白质,具备CesA家族的保守结构域;BeCesA4在慈竹快速生长的笋与茎中显著表达;过量表达该基因会使转基因植物出现生物量提升、纤维素含量升高和次生细胞壁加厚等现象.结果表明,BeCesA4的表达量与慈竹茎内纤维素的积累呈正相关.本研究结果为进一步揭示慈竹纤维素合成机制奠定了基础.

基于梁山慈竹转录组数据库,以梁山慈竹叶片为材料,克隆得到一个MYB转录因子,命名为DfMYB3,其开放阅读框长度为1 287 bp,编码428个氨基酸,GenBank注册号为KY963358.保守结构域分析显示,Df-MYB3有典型的SANT结构域,具有DNA-Binding结构域.系统进化树分析发现,DfMYB3与甘蔗、拟南芥、毛白杨等物种的R2R3-MYB转录因子聚集在一枝上.亚细胞定位结果显示,DfMYB3蛋白在细胞核以及细胞膜中均有表达,在细胞核上更为显著.通过染色体步移法克隆得到DfMYB3基因5'侧翼2 000 bp左右的序列.Plant-CARE在线软件分析表明,该序列具有典型的启动子特征,并含有GA、ABA、MeJA等激素以及干旱等胁迫响应元件.100μmol·L-1 GA、100μmol·L-1 ABA处理梁山慈竹后,显著上调了DfMYB3基因的表达,表明DfMYB3基因能对GA及ABA处理产生应答.为探究DfMYB3启动子的功能,构建了 DfMYB3启动子融合GUS基因的表达载体,并遗传转化烟草.在转基因烟草叶片及茎杆中都检测到了 GUS信号,在叶脉处最为显著.

糖外排转运蛋白(sugar will eventually be exported transporters,SWEET)在植物光合同化产物的运输中主要参与韧皮部糖的装载过程.该研究基于慈竹转录组库筛选出9条完整的BeSWEET序列,对其进行生物信息学分析,以慈竹茎和嫩叶的cDNA为模板对9条BeSWEET序列中的BeSWEET4-2和BeSWEET1a-2进行基因克隆,采用实时荧光定量(qRT-PCR)分析其在叶肉、叶脉、根、茎中的表达水平以及外源糖诱导下的表达变化.结果表明:(1)系统进化分析显示,9条BeSWEET序列被分为4大类群,其中BeSWEET4-2与水稻SWEET4近缘,聚类到CladeⅡ,具有2个MtN3保守结构域;BeSWEET1a-2与水稻SWEET1a和SWEET1b近缘,聚类到CladeⅠ.(2)序列分析显示,慈竹BeSWEET4-2和BeSWEET1a-2分别编码256个和222个氨基酸,分别具有7个和5个跨膜结构域.(3)亚细胞定位预测显示:慈竹BeSWEET4-2和BeSWEET1a-2均定位于质膜.(4)qRT-PCR结果显示,慈竹BeSWEET4-2和BeSWEET1a-2在叶肉、叶脉、根和茎中均有表达,分别在根和叶脉中最为显著,推测其可能协作参与了糖类从源到库的转运.(5)在外源己糖诱导下慈竹BeSWEET4-2和BeSWEET1a-2均显著上调表达,显示出对己糖的偏好性.该研究结果为进一步探讨慈竹BeSWEET蛋白调控糖转运的生物学功能奠定了基础.

Based on the study of AtARRE at the gene and protein levels, this paper describes its role with the key transcription factor ABI5 of the ABA signaling pathway. In this study, a protoplast transient expression system was used to explore the subcellular localization of AtARRE protein, and the result demonstrated that AtARRE localized in the nucleus. Subsequently, the interaction between AtARRE and ABI5 was analyzed by yeast two-hybrid and GST-Pull down techniques. Our analysis demonstrated that AtARRE interacted with ABI5 in vitro. At last, analysis by bimolecular fluorescence complementation experiments further demonstrated the interaction between AtARRE and ABI5, indicating that the co-expression of AtARRE and ABI5 had interaction in vitro. These results indicate that AtARRE may be involved in ABI5-mediated plant response to stress.

The RING-type E3 ligase AtARRE participates in the plant ABA responding as a negative regulator.