Effects of Potassium-Solubilizing Bacteria on Growth, Antioxidant Activity and Expression of Related Genes in Fritillaria taipaiensis P. Y. Li

This study aimed to examine the effects of inoculating Fritillaria taipaiensis P.Y.Li leaves with different strains ofpotassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSB), or combinations thereof, focusing on aspects of photosynthesis and physiologicaland biochemical characteristics. At present, some studies have only studied the rhizosphere microbialcommunity characteristics of F. taipaiensis and have not discussed the effects of different microbial species on thegrowth promotion of F. taipaiensis. This paper will start from the perspective of potassium-solubilizing bacteria toconduct an in-depth study. Seed cultivation commenced at the base with three different KSBs in early October2022. The growth of F. taipaiensis leaves was observed after different treatments. Both single-plant and compoundinoculations were executed. A total of eight treatment groups were established, with aseptic fertilizer and sterilizedsoil functioning as the control group. The results reveal that intercellular CO_(2) concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance(Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) were at their apex in the S7 group. Most treatment groups exhibited anincrease in leaf area, photosynthetic pigment content, soluble sugar, soluble protein, Superoxide Dismutase(SOD), Peroxidase (POD), Catalase (CAT) activities, and proline content. The expression levels of POD, SOD,and CAT genes were evaluated, following inoculation with different KSB. The highest was the S7 group. Theinoculation with various KSB, or combinations thereof, appears to bolster the growth and development of F. taipaiensis.The composite inoculation group S7, comprising Bacillus cereus, Burkholderia cepacia, and Bacillus subtilis,manifested the most favorable impact on the diverse indices of F. taipaiensis, thereby furnishing valuableinsights for the selection of bacterial fertilizer in the artificial cultivation of F. taipaiensis.

Resistance genes mediate differential resistance to pine defensive substances α-Pinene and H_(2)O_(2) in Bursaphelenchus xylophilus with different levels of virulence

The pine wood nematode(PWN),Bursaphelenchus xylophilus(Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle,is the pathogen of pine wilt disease(PWD) which can devastate forests.PWN can be of hi gh or low severity and the mechanisms underlying the differences in virulence are unclear.Therefore,it is necessary to study the relationship between differentiation of PWN severity and its resistance to the main defensive substances of pine species(i.e.,α-pinene and H_(2)O_(2)).The feeding rate and fecundity of PWN was examined at different levels of virulence under conditions of a-pinene and H_(2)O_(2) stress.Moreover,the expression patterns of the main resistance genes of PWN with different virulence were determined under conditions of α-pinene and H_(2)O_(2) stress.The feeding rate and fecundity of the high virulence strain AMA3 were higher than those of the low virulence strain YW4.The expression levels of the autophagy gene BxATG5,cytochrome P450 gene BxCYP33 D3,and glutathione S-transferase genes BxGST1 and BxGST3 in AMA3 increased significantly upon exposure to α-pinene for 2 h,while these genes showed smaller degrees of upregulation in YW4.Under conditions of H_(2)O_(2) stress,the expression levels of BxATG5,catalase genes Bxy-ctl-1 and Bxy-ctl-2,and the 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin gene BxPrx in AMA3 were higher than those in YW4.These findings suggest that high virulence PWN has greater resistance to pine defensive substances α-pinene and H_(2)O_(2) than low virulence PWN,and resistance genes mediate the differential resistance of PWN strains.This study will contribute to the clarification of the mechanism underlying virulence differentiation of PWN and will advance understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of PWD.

Prolonged manganese exposure induces severe deficits in lifespan,development and reproduction possibly by altering oxidative stress response in Caenorhabditis elegans

We examined the possible multiple defects induced by acute and prolonged exposure to high levels of manganese（Mn） solution by monitoring the endpoints of lifespan,development,reproduction,and stress response.Our data suggest that acute exposure（6 h） to Mn did not cause severe defects of life span,development,and reproduction,similarly,no significant defect could be found in animals exposed to a low concentration of Mn（2.5 μmol/L） for 48 h.In contrast,prolonged exposure（48 h） to high Mn concentrations（75 and 200 μmol/L） resulted in significant defects of life span,development,and reproduction,as well as the increase of the percentage of population with hsp-16.2：：gfp expression indicating the obvious induction of stress responses in exposed animals.Moreover,prolonged exposure（48 h） to high concentrations（75 and 200 μmol/L） of Mn decreased the expression levels of antioxidant genes of sod-1,sod-2,sod-3,and sod-4 compared to control.Therefore,prolonged exposure to high concentrations of Mn will induce the severe defects of life span,development,and reproduction in nematodes possibly by affecting the stress response and expression of antioxidant genes in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Comparison of the toxicity of silver nanoparticles and silver ions on the growth of terrestrial plant model Arabidopsis thaliana

Silver nanoparticles （AgNPs） are one of the most widely used nanomaterials, but the mechanism of AgNP toxicity in terrestrial plants is still unclear. We compared the toxic effects of AgNPs and Ag＋ on Arabidopsis thaliana at the physiological, ultrastructural and molecular levels. AgNPs did not affect seed germination; however, they showed stronger inhibitory effect on root elongation than Ag＋ . The results of transmission electron microscopy and metal content analysis showed that AgNPs could be accumulated in leaves. These absorbed AgNPs disrupted the thylakoid membrane structure and decreased chlorophyll content, which can inhibit plant growth. By comparison, a small amount of Ag＋ was absorbed by seedlings, and it did not pronouncedly affect chloroplast structure and other metal ion absorption as AgNPs did. Compared with Ag＋ , AgNPs could alter the transcription of antioxidant and aquaporin genes, indicating that AgNPs changed the balance between the oxidant and antioxidant systems, and also affected the homeostasis of water and other small molecules within the plant body. All the data from physiological, ultrastructural and molecular levels suggest that AgNPs were more toxic than Ag＋ .