Potassium (K+) deficiency severely limits global wheat productivity and food security. Genetic improvement of K+ utilization efficiency (KUE) is a sustainable strategy to address this challenge; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We identified a lncRNA62732-miR9778-TaHAK18-5B module in wheat (Triticum aestivum) using long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA)-sequencing combined with competing endogenous RNA prediction. Using genetic transformation and molecular biology techniques, we analyzed the role of this module in mediating the response to K+ deficiency and the mechanisms underlying its effects. miR9778 is a Triticeae-specific miRNA that directly targets TaHAK18-5B. Both miR9778 silencing and TaHAK18-5B overexpression notably enhanced K+ deficiency tolerance at the seedling stage by modulating root K+ acquisition and translocation from the roots to the shoots, whereas silencing TaHAK18-5B had the opposite effect. Additionally, lncRNA62732 was identified as an endogenous target mimic (eTM) of miR9778 that sequesters miR9778 and prevents miR9778-mediated cleavage of TaHAK18-5B, thereby positively regulating wheat seedlings' growth under K+ deficiency conditions. Notably, the lncRNA62732-miR9778-TaHAK18-5B module improved wheat adaptation to K+ deficiency and enhanced the KUE and grain yield under field conditions. These results reveal a novel module in mediating K+ homeostasis and provide valuable genetic resources for engineering KUE in wheat.

The Oxidative Stress 3 (OXS3) gene family encodes plant-specific proteins that play crucial roles in abiotic stress tolerance and chromatin remodeling. However, genome-wide identification and characterization of the OXS3 gene family in soybean have not been systematically conducted. Here, we identified 19 GmOXS3 genes from the soybean genome. Phylogenetic analysis assigned these genes to three subfamilies (I–III). Members within the same subfamily exhibited conserved motif compositions. The promoter regions of GmOXS3 genes contained various cis-acting regulatory elements associated with stress and phytohormone responses. Analysis of transcriptome data revealed that GmOXS3 genes exhibited different expression patterns in various organs. RT-qPCR further confirmed their differential expression under salt and alkaline stresses, with the most pronounced up-regulation observed for GmOXS3-1 and GmOXS3-14 under alkaline stress. Among them, GmOXS3-1 was further characterized, and it negatively regulates alkaline tolerance in soybean hairy roots. These results provide a foundation for elucidating GmOXS3-1-mediated alkaline stress signaling and highlight its potential as a breeding target for improving alkaline tolerance.

Abiotic stresses are major constraints on oil crop productivity worldwide, causing significant yield losses and increasingly threatening global edible oil security. These stresses also weaken plant defense capacity, indirectly increasing vulnerability to pests and diseases and challenging the effectiveness of integrated disease management (IDM) systems. Recent advances identify nanoparticles (NPs) as an innovative and signaling regulator tool for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in oil crops through coordinated physiological and molecular regulation. The present review synthesizes current knowledge on NPs applications in major oil-bearing crops, with emphasis on drought, salinity, heavy metal toxicity and temperature extremes. A key innovation is the integration of NPs application strategies with crop-specific physiological traits, molecular responses, and hormonal and redox signaling networks. We highlight new insights showing that NPs act as active regulators of stress adaptation by stabilizing membranes, maintaining redox homeostasis, activating antioxidant defenses, modulating stress-responsive gene expression, and interacting with phytohormones and nitric oxide (NO) signaling. By adopting a cross-crop, cross-stress framework, the present review moves beyond stress- or species-specific analyses and directly links abiotic stress mitigation to improved plant resilience and IDM robustness. Key research gaps, including limited field validation, uncertainties in optimal dosing and delivery, and insufficient understanding of environmental fate and safety, are identified. Overall, the present review positions NPs-based strategies as promising complementary tools for sustainable oil crop protection and IDM.

Plant GH5 family genes function in both cell wall biosynthesis and stress responses. However, comprehensive studies on GH5 genes in the soybean remain limited. Here, we identified 28 GmGH5 genes from the soybean genome. Phylogenetic analysis assigned these genes to three subfamilies (I–III), with no representatives in subfamily IV. The GmGH5 family harbors 15 conserved motifs, which are largely similar within subfamilies but differ across subfamilies. Additionally, exon–intron structures (2–7 introns) exhibit clade-specific patterns, with members within the same clade sharing similar intron numbers and lengths, whereas distinct clades show some variation. The promoter regions of GmGH5 genes contained various cis-acting regulatory elements associated with stress responses and developmental processes. Transcriptome-based expression profiling revealed distinct tissue-specific expression patterns of GmGH5 genes. RT-qPCR further confirmed their differential expression under salt, alkaline, cold, and drought stresses, especially a significant increase in GmGH5-22 expression under salt stress (approximately 22-fold at 6 h, **** p < 0.0001). Furthermore, GmGH5-22 was highly expressed in roots, and transient expression in tobacco leaves showed its peripheral localization, which aligns with its predicted extracellular localization, suggesting that GmGH5-22 is highly likely localized to the cell wall. Overexpression of GmGH5-22 in soybean hairy roots significantly improved tolerance to salt stress. These findings establish a foundation for functional characterization of GmGH5 genes and provide viable targets for molecular breeding to enhance salt tolerance in soybeans.

Seed vigor is a crucial agronomic trait that determines the storage longevity and germination quality of rice seeds. This trait is regulated by a complex molecular network. The physiological and transcriptomic differences of the rice variety Kasalath (WT) and its miR168a-silenced (MIM) and miR168a-overexpressed (OE) seeds were compared under conditions of unaged, ultra-dry storage (UDS) for 9 years, and artificial aging (AA) for 16 days. The results demonstrated the conditional regulatory effect of miR168a. Compared with artificial aging, the seed deterioration was less severe under UDS than under AA. Physiologically, upregulation of miR168a expression significantly enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, effectively scavenging reactive oxygen species, and reducing the malondialdehyde accumulation and the relative electrical conductivity level, thereby alleviating membrane lipid peroxidation and delaying seed aging. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under the two aging conditions were functionally distinct but also interrelated. The DEGs in UDS seeds were mainly enriched in glutathione metabolism and stress response pathways, whereas those in AA seeds were associated with ROS responses and phytohormone transduction. Furthermore, the regulatory network indicates that miR168a might target hub genes, such as OsATM, Os07g0489500, and OsRUBQ2, and collaboratively regulate the conversion of pentoses and glucuronates, ubiquitination, hormone signaling, and ROS metabolism, thereby affecting the seed’s aging tolerance by influencing DNA repair, protein homeostasis, and oxidative stress responses. These findings identified miR168a as a key regulator that integrates multiple pathways to maintain seed vigor, providing theoretical insights and potential targets for improving the storability of crop seeds.

Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) correspond to nearly 60% of annotated rice loci, however their functions are largely unknown. In this study, we characterise a rice cis-NAT (NAT1850) that completely overlaps with a rice-specific primary miRNA, pri-miR1850. Pri-miR1850, but not its mature miR1850 products, promotes the accumulation of NAT1850, while NAT1850 overexpression in turn reduces the accumulation of pri-miR1850 transcripts. A 21-nt siRNA (siR1850) derived from the pri-miR1850 transcripts is generated by cleavage of pri-miR1850-NAT1850 dsRNA and overlaps in sequence with miR1850.1 and miR1850.2. Both NAT1850 and siR1850 negatively regulate cold tolerance at both the young-seedling and booting stages. Interestingly, siR1850 targets and represses NPR3, which is also a target of miR1850.1. NPR3 interacts with the WRKY76 transcription factor and acts as a co-transcriptional activator of WRKY76 to trigger DREB1B under cold stress. Genetic evidence shows the NAT1850-siR1850 module functions in cold stress response via an NPR3-dependent manner. Furthermore, NAT1850 and siR1850 control nitrogen assimilation and rice yield in a miR1850.1-NPR3-independent pathway. Our findings reveal a regulatory mode for a pri-miRNA and its cis-NAT, and uncover their roles in balancing the cold-stress response and rice yields.

With climate change, the frequency and intensity of climate extremes have increased significantly, exerting remarkable impacts on agricultural production in China. Irrigation, as an efficient agricultural management approach to maintaining the crop yield, was widely but unevenly implemented in China. Elucidating the impacts of climate change on maize yield and the role of irrigation in mitigating the climate change impacts on maize yield is critical to enhance the resilience of the national food system. Here, the key growing period and the sensitive meteorological indicators to maize yield variation in two major maize producing regions of China were revealed using the multiple regression models. The results indicate that the reproductive growing period and the precipitation-related indicators are more prominent for the maize yield variation in the North China Plain, whereas in Northeast China Plain, the vegetative growing period and the temperature-related indices contribute more to the maize yield. Among all meteorological indicators, the heat degree days and the consecutive dry days are the most influential meteorological factors to maize yield, and the heat degree days are projected be increasing drastically in the future, bring more heat threats to the maize yield. Result show that agricultural irrigation could significantly mitigate the dependence of maize yields variation on climate change, the determination coefficients of climate indices on maize yield decreased by 0.10 and 0.15 for the North China Plain and Northeast China Plain as the irrigation intensity increased. Adaptable solutions concerning the impact of extreme climates and the construction of agricultural irrigation facilities should be taken into consideration to cope with climate change and ensure the food security.

Plant AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene response factor) transcription factors are key regulators of environmental stress tolerance. We previously characterized that the wild soybean ERF71 transcription factor conferred bicarbonate stress tolerance; however, the underlying mechanism still remains elusive. Here, multiple approaches were used to identify the E3 ubiquitin ligase GmCHYR16 as an interactor of GmERF71. Ubiquitination and protein degradation of GmERF71 mediated by GmCHYR16 were then analyzed. Overexpression transgenic lines were generated to evaluate the function of GmCHYR16 and GmERF71 in bicarbonate stress response. GmCHYR16 interacts with GmERF71. GmERF71 proteins undergo ubiquitination and 26S proteasome-mediated degradation, and GmCHYR16 mediates the ubiquitination of GmERF71 for degradation. The GmCHYR16-mediated ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of GmERF71 are reduced under bicarbonate stress. GmCHYR16 expression in transgenic Arabidopsis, soybean hairy roots, and stable transgenic soybean reduces bicarbonate stress tolerance. GmERF71 degradation is decreased in the protein extracts of atchyr1/7 mutants, and atchyr1/7 mutants display higher bicarbonate tolerance. Overexpression of GmERF71 in transgenic soybean obviously increases bicarbonate tolerance, and GmCHYR16 reduces the bicarbonate tolerance of transgenic hairy root composite soybean plants by repressing GmERF71. Our results demonstrate that GmCHYR16 directly ubiquitinates GmERF71 for degradation and negatively regulates bicarbonate stress tolerance.

Low temperature causes rice yield losses of up to 30%–40%, therefore increasing its cold tolerance is a breeding target. Few genes in rice are reported to confer cold tolerance at both the vegetative and reproductive stages. This study revealed a rice-specific 24-nt miRNA, miR1868, whose accumulation was suppressed by cold stress. Knockdown of MIR1868 increased seedling survival, pollen fertility, seed setting, and grain yield under cold stress, whereas its overexpression conferred the opposite phenotype. Knockdown of MIR1868 increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and soluble sugar content under cold stress by increasing the expression of peroxidase genes and sugar metabolism genes, and its overexpression produced the opposite effect. Thus, MIR1868 negatively regulated rice cold tolerance via ROS scavenging and sugar accumulation.

Plant Homeo Domain(PHD) proteins are involved in diverse biological processes during plant growth.However, the regulation of PHD genes on rice cold stress response remains largely unknown. Here, we reported that PHD17 negatively regulated cold tolerance in rice seedlings as a cleavage target of miR1320. PHD17 expression was greatly induced by cold stress, and was down-regulated by miR1320 overexpression and up-regulated by miR1320 knockdown. Through 5'RACE and dual luciferase assays,we found that miR1320 targeted and cleaved the 3'UTR region of PHD17. PHD17 was a nuclearlocalized protein and acted as a transcriptional activator in yeast. PHD17 overexpression reduced cold tolerance of rice seedlings, while knockout of PHD17 increased cold tolerance, partially via the CBF cold signaling. By combining transcriptomic and physiological analyses, we demonstrated that PHD17 modulated ROS homeostasis and flavonoid accumulation under cold stress. K-means clustering analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes in PHD17 transgenic lines were significantly enriched in the jasmonic acid(JA) biosynthesis pathway, and expression of JA biosynthesis and signaling genes was verified to be affected by PHD17. Cold stress tests applied with MeJA or IBU(JA synthesis inhibitor)further suggested the involvement of PHD17 in JA-mediated cold signaling. Taken together, our results suggest that PHD17 acts downstream of miR1320 and negatively regulates cold tolerance of rice seedlings through JA-mediated signaling pathway.

Higher plants survive terrestrial water deficiency and fluctuation by arresting cellular activities (dehydration) and resuscitating processes (rehydration). However, how plants monitor water availability during rehydration is unknown. Although increases in hypo-osmolarity-induced cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (HOSCA) have long been postulated to be the mechanism for sensing hypo-osmolarity in rehydration1,2, the molecular basis remains unknown. Because osmolarity triggers membrane tension and the osmosensing specificity of osmosensing channels can only be determined in vivo3-5, these channels have been classified as a subtype of mechanosensors. Here we identify bona fide cell surface hypo-osmosensors in Arabidopsis and find that pollen Ca2+ spiking is controlled directly by water through these hypo-osmosensors-that is, Ca2+ spiking is the second messenger for water status. We developed a functional expression screen in Escherichia coli for hypo-osmosensitive channels and identified OSCA2.1, a member of the hyperosmolarity-gated calcium-permeable channel (OSCA) family of proteins6. We screened single and high-order OSCA mutants, and observed that the osca2.1/osca2.2 double-knockout mutant was impaired in pollen germination and HOSCA. OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 function as hypo-osmosensitive Ca2+-permeable channels in planta and in HEK293 cells. Decreasing osmolarity of the medium enhanced pollen Ca2+ oscillations, which were mediated by OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 and required for germination. OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 convert extracellular water status into Ca2+ spiking in pollen and may serve as essential hypo-osmosensors for tracking rehydration in plants.

OsERF096 negatively regulates rice cold tolerance and mediates IAA biosynthesis and signaling under cold stress. The APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors play important roles in regulating plant tolerance to abiotic stress. OsERF096 was previously identified as a direct target of miR1320, and was suggested to negatively regulate rice cold tolerance. In this study, we performed RNA-sequencing and targeted metabolomics assays to reveal the regulatory roles of OsERF096 in cold stress response. GO and KEGG analysis of differentially expressed genes showed that the starch and sucrose metabolism, plant–pathogen interaction, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were significantly enriched. Quantification analysis confirmed a significant difference in sugar contents among WT and OsERF096 transgenic lines under cold treatment. Targeted metabolomics analysis uncovered that IAA accumulation and signaling were modified by OsERF096 in response to cold stress. Expectedly, qRT-PCR assays confirmed significant OsIAAs and OsARFs expression changes in OsERF096 transgenic lines. Finally, we identified three targets of OsERF096 based on RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, and dual-LUC assays. In summary, these results revealed the multiple regulatory roles of OsERF096 in cold stress response.

Immunohistochemical Fos staining has proven to be a method to identify the neurons that are activated by stimulation. Although methamphetamine (MA)-conditioned place preference (CPP) memory was long-lasting, how this memory was established and retrieved remained unknown. We used the vehicle- and MA-conditioned environment (including cues and context) to reactivate the MA-CPP memory in mice. In the limbic system, Fos-positive neurons were examined following retrieval of the MA-CPP memory. We demonstrated that the current conditioning procedure produced reliable MA-CPP performance. Moreover, enhanced Fos expressions were found in the medial prefrontal cortex and the core of the nucleus accumbens after reactivation of the MA-CPP memory. Furthermore, familiarity with the environmental cues/context was found to significantly enhance Fos expressions in dorsal striatum and dentate gyrus. Nucleus accumbens shell, basolateral or lateral amygdala, in this regard, did not seem to be involved in retrieval of the MA-CPP memory. These results, taken together, suggest that the medial prefrontal cortex and the core of the nucleus accumbens are anatomical substrates responsible for reactivation of the MA-CPP memory.

盐碱、干旱等非生物胁迫会降低作物产量,影响作物品质.为挖掘调控植物耐盐碱的关键基因,课题组对拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)突变体进行了大规模筛选,获得了对NaHCO3胁迫敏感的拟南芥突变体atsus4.鉴于蔗糖合成酶(SUS)在蔗糖代谢中的关键作用,本研究系统分析了拟南芥SUS基因(AtSUS)对非生物胁迫的响应.生物信息学分析结果表明,拟南芥SUS家族蛋白序列具有高度保守性.非生物胁迫表达模式分析发现,包括AtSUS4基因在内的多个SUS基因均响应高渗、高盐、干旱和脱落酸胁迫.通过表型分析进一步发现AtSUS4基因的缺失降低了拟南芥对盐、高渗胁迫的耐性,并提高了对脱落酸的敏感性.最后构建了AtSUS4蛋白互作网络,发现AtSUS4与多个糖代谢相关酶存在相互作用,推测AtSUS4通过调节糖的代谢,在非生物胁迫应答过程中发挥作用.上述结果表明,拟南芥SUS家族蛋白序列高度保守,并参与植物多种非生物胁迫应答.

野生大豆(Glycine soja)起源于中国,是栽培大豆(G.max)的近缘祖先,逆境适应能力强,是研究耐逆分子机制和挖掘耐逆关键调控基因的优良材料.该文综述了野生大豆耐逆基因组、转录组和蛋白质组等组学研究进展,总结了近年来类受体蛋白激酶、转录因子、离子通道和氧化还原在野生大豆耐逆应答中的调控作用及机制,为耐逆作物新品种培育提供了新思路.

Soil salt-alkalization is one of the adverse factors limiting crop yields. Identification of key salt-alkaline tolerant genes is of great significance for molecular breeding of stress-resistant crops. In this study, a T-DNA insertion Arabidopsis mutant atgols2 showing higher sensitivity to bicarbonate salt-alkaline stress was screened out against NaHCO3 treatment. Further bioinformatic analysis revealed that the AtGolS2 gene encoded a galactinol synthase, which is a member of the glycosyltransferase family A superfamily. We predicted the protein interaction network of AtGolS2 via SMART online analysis, and found that these AtGolS2 interacting proteins were related to lipid metabolism, galactose biosynthesis and raffinose biosynthesis, and participated in abiotic stress responses. By using the online expression data, we showed that AtGolS2 expression responded to salt, osmotic, drought and ABA stress. PCR amplification by using the three primers method verified the homozygous T-DNA insertion in atgols2. Phenotypic assays further uncovered that atgols2 mutant was more sensitive to high salt, osmotic and ABA stresses than the wild type Arabidopsis. Taken together, results in this study revealed the positive function of AtGolS2 in bicarbonate salt-alkaline, high salt, osmotic and ABA stresses, which will facilitate further research regarding the function and molecular mechanism of the GolS family genes in stress responses.