Plant growth and metabolism of exotic and native Crotalaria species for mine land rehabilitation in the Amazon

Despite its enormous benefits,mining is respon-sible for intense changes to vegetation and soil properties.Thus,after extraction,it is necessary to rehabilitate the mined areas,creating better conditions for the establishment of plant species which is challenging.This study evaluated mineral and organic fertilization on the growth,and carbon and nitrogen(N)metabolism of two Crotalaria species[Cro-talaria spectabilis(exotic species)and Crotalaria maypu-rensis(native species from Carajás Mineral Province(CMP)]established on a waste pile from an iron mine in CMP.A control(without fertilizer application)and six fertilization mixtures were tested(i=NPK;ii=NPK+micronutrients;iii=NPK+micronutrients+organic compost;iv=PK;v=PK+micronutrients;vi=PK+micronutrients+organic compost).Fertilization contributed to increased growth of both species,and treatments with NPK and micronutrients had the best results(up to 257%cf.controls),while organic fertilization did not show differences.Exotic Crotalaria had a greater number of nodules,higher nodule dry mass,chlorophyll a and b contents and showed free ammonium as the predominant N form,reflecting greater increments in biomass compared to native species.Although having lower growth,the use of this native species in the rehabilitation of mining areas should be considered,mainly because it has good development and meets current government legislation as an opportunity to restore local biodiversity.

Effects of mepiquat chloride and plant population density on leaf photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in upland cotton

Background Mepiquat chloride(MC)application and plant population density(PPD)increasing are required for modern cotton production.However,their interactive effects on leaf physiology and carbohydrate metabolism remain obscure.This study aimed to examine whether and how MC and PPD affect the leaf morpho-physiological characteristics,and thus final cotton yield.PPD of three levels(D1:2.25 plants·m^(-2),D2:4.5 plants·m^(-2),and D3:6.75 plants·m^(-2))and MC dosage of two levels(MC0:0 g·ha^(-2),MC1:82.5 g·ha^(-2))were combined to create six treatments.The dynamics of nonstructual carbohydrate concentration,carbon metabolism-related enzyme activity,and photosynthetic attributes in cotton leaves were examined during reproductive growth in 2019 and 2020.Results Among six treatments,the high PPD of 6.75 plants·m^(-2)combined with MC application(MC1D3)exhibited the greatest seed cotton yield and biological yield.The sucrose,hexose,starch,and total nonstructural carbohydrate(TNC)concentrations peaked at the first flowering(FF)stage and then declined to a minimum at the first boll opening(FBO)stage.Compared with other treatments,MC1D3 improved starch and TNC concentration by 5.4%~88.4%,7.8%~52.0% in 2019,and by 14.6%~55.9%,13.5%~39.7% in 2020 at the FF stage,respectively.Additionally,MC1D3 produced higher transformation rates of starch and TNC from the FF to FBO stages,indicating greater carbon production and utilization efficiency.MC1D3 displayed the maximal specific leaf weight(SLW)at the FBO stage,and the highest chlorophyll a(Chl a),Chl b,and Chl a+b concentration at the mid-late growth phase in both years.The Rubisco activity with MC1D3 was 2.6%~53.2% higher at the flowering and boll setting stages in both years,and 2.4%~52.7% higher at the FBO stage in 2020 than those in other treatments.These results provided a explanation of higher leaf senescence-resistant ability in MC1D3.Conclusion Increasing PPD coupled with MC application improves cotton yield by enhancing leaf carbohydrate production and utilization efficiency and delaying leaf senescence.

Ethanol Metabolism in Calluses of Several Selected Plant Species on Two Typical Plant-Growth-Regulator Balanced Media

For investigation on the characteristics of ethanol metabolism in tissues of different plant species, calluses from eight selected plant species were cultured on medium supplemented with ethanol in tightly sealed culture flasks. Changes of the ethanol level were detected by gas chromatography. During the culture period, the calluses of tobacco, potato and petunia were, able to catabolize exogenous ethanol, resulting in the prominent decline of the ethanol level in the medium. The calluses of melon and peanut were also able to catabolize thanol but with lower efficiency. The other three calluses of carrot, soybean and rice did not catabolize ethanol but instead produced small to large amount of ethanol, resulting in the increase of the ethanol level in the media. It was also found that changing the balance between auxin and cytokinin could influence only the ethanol metabolism efficiency but could not change the metabolism patterns on ethanol of the cultured calluses. It can be concluded that, ethanol metabolism pattern of calluses in cultures is an innate physiological characteristic of the respective plant species.

Molecular regulation of the key specialized metabolism pathways in medicinal plants

The basis of modern pharmacology is the human ability to exploit the production of specialized metabolites from medical plants,for example,terpenoids,alkaloids,and phenolic acids.However,in most cases,the availability of these valuable compounds is limited by cellular or organelle barriers or spatio-temporal accumulation patterns within different plant tissues.Transcription factors(TFs)regulate biosynthesis of these specialized metabolites by tightly controlling the expression of biosynthetic genes.Cutting-edge technologies and/or combining multiple strategies and approaches have been applied to elucidate the role of TFs.In this review,we focus on recent progress in the transcription regulation mechanism of representative high-value products and describe the transcriptional regulatory network,and future perspectives are discussed,which will help develop high-yield plant resources.

Differential Expression of Genes Related to Fruit Development and Capsaicinoids Synthesis in Habanero Pepper Plants Grown in Contrasting Soil Types

Habanero pepper(Capsicum chinense Jacq.)is a crop of economic relevance in the Peninsula of Yucatan.Its fruits have a high level of capsaicinoids compared to peppers grown in other regions of the world,which gives them industrial importance.Soil is an important factor that affects pepper development,nutritional quality,and capsaicinoid content.However,the effect of soil type on fruit development and capsaicinoid metabolism has been little understood.This work aimed to compare the effect of soils with contrasting characteristics,black soil(BS)and red soil(RS),on the expression of genes related to the development of fruits,and capsaicinoid synthesis using a transcriptomic analysis of the habanero pepper fruits.Plants growing in RS had bigger fruits and higher expression of genes related to floral development,fruit abscission,and softening which suggests that RS stimulates fruit development from early stages until maturation stages.Fruits from plants growing in BS had enrichment in metabolic pathways related to growth,sugars,and photosynthesis.Besides,these fruits had higher capsaicinoid accumulation at 25 days post-anthesis,and higher expression of genes related to the branched-chain amino acids metabolism(ketol-acid reductisomerase KARI),pentose phosphate pathway and production of NADPH(glucose-6-phosphate-1-dehydrogenase G6PDH),and proteasome and vesicular traffic in cells(26S proteasome regulatory subunit T4 RPT4),which suggest that BS is better in the early stimulation of pathways related to the nutritional quality and capsaicinoid metabolism in the fruits.

Study of ground ozone and precursors along with particulate matter at residential sites in the vicinity of power plant

Emission source characterization and meteorological influence are the key aspects to gain insight into the ground ozone governing mechanisms.Receptor-based data analysis techniques help in comprehending local ozone fluctuations in the lack of accurate information on the emission characteristics.Through sophisticated data analysis,the current study offers insight into the key factors influencing the ozone changes in the vicinity of power plants.Ground ozone(O_(3))and its precursor variables carbon monoxide(CO),nitric oxide(NO),nitrogen dioxide(NO_(2)),Sulphur dioxide(SO_(2)),benzene,toluene,ethyl-benzene and xylene(BTEX)along with the particulate matter of size less than 10 and 2.5 micron(PM_(10) and PM_(2.5))and meteorological variables have been studied at a residential site near the coal-fired power plant in the two cities;Chandrapur and Nagpur during 2016–2019.O_(3) is observed to be not correlated significantly(r<0.16 and<0.1 in Nagpur and Chandrapur,respectively)with any of its precursor variables in two cities.On a finer time scale,however,an association of O_(3) with CO,NO,NO_(2) and BTEX suggested that the O_(3) formation mechanism is driven by volatile organic compounds(VOCs)(mainly BTEX),CO and NO_(x).On the coarser scale,however,seasonality and other factors have distorted the correlation.Random forest model with O_(3) concentration as the response variable and NO_(2),NO,SO_(2),CO,BTEX,PM_(10) and PM_(2.5) as independent variables suggested that PM_(10),NO,CO and solar radiation are highly important variables governing the O_(3) dynamics in Chandrapur.In Nagpur,wind direction,relative humidity,temperature,toluene and NO_(2) are more important.Qualitative analysis to assess the contribution of emission sources suggested the influence of traffic emissions in Nagpur and the dominance of non-traffic related emissions,mainly power plant and mining activities in Chandrapur.The hazard quotient is observed to be>1 in both cities suggesting a health hazard to the residents living in the area.

The role of selected medicinal plants from Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of fatigue in metabolic syndrome

Background:Fatigue is a symptom of metabolic disorders such as metabolic syndrome,which is currently increasing in the world.There is no specific medication for fatigue,but in many cases,such as in metabolic disorders,it can be relieved by treating the underlying causes.Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with fatigue and metabolic syndrome.Other mechanisms in metabolic syndrome are also involved in causing fatigue.Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the role of selected medicinal plants from Iranian traditional medicine(ITM)in improving fatigue in patients with metabolic syndrome.Methods:ITM is one of the most ancient systems of medicine.In this article,we first explained fatigue,its types,and treatment from the perspective of ITM and then introduced a list of medicinal plants used in ITM to treat fatigue.Next,we reviewed the biological effects of these plants effective in treating the manifestations of the metabolic syndrome based on a search of electronic databases.Results:They have antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and anti-diabetic activities.Among them,Matricaria chamomilla L.,Laurus nobilis L.,Origanum majorana L.,Vitex agnus-castus L.,Lawsonia inermis L.,Anethum graveolens L.,and Pistacia terebinthus L.improve the lipid profile and reduce dyslipidemia.Also,the antihypertensive effects of Matricaria chamomilla,Laurus nobilis,and Origanum majorana have been proven.Conclusion:These plants prevent fatigue and disease progression by countering oxidative stress and inflammation and affecting the properties of the metabolic syndrome.

The Ozone Component of Global Change:Potential Effects on Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Yield,Product Quality and Interactions with Invasive Species

The productivity, product quality and competitive ability of important agricultural and horticultural plants in many regions of the world may be adversely affected by current and anticipated concentrations of ground-level ozone （O_3）. Exposure to elevated O_3 typically results in suppressed photosynthesis, accelerated senescence, decreased growth and lower yields. Various approaches used to evaluate O_3 effects generally concur that current yield losses range from 5% to 15% among sensitive plants. There is, however, considerable genetic variability in plant responses to O_3.

Lack of Evidence for 3/4 Scaling of Metabolism in Terrestrial Plants

Scaling, as the translation of information across spatial, temporal, and organizational scales, is essential to predictions and understanding in all sciences and has become a central issue in ecology. A large body of theoretical and empirical evidence concerning allometric scaling in terrestrial individual plants and plant communities has been constructed around the fractal volume-filling theory of West, Brown, and Enquist （the WBE model）. One of the most thought-provoking findings has been that the metabolic rates of plants, like those of animals, scale with their size as a 3/4 power law. The earliest, single most-important study cited in support of the application of the WBE model to terrestrial plants claims that whole-plant resource use in terrestrial plants scales as the 3/4 power of total mass, as predicted by the WBE model. However, in the present study we show that empirical data actually do not support such a claim. More recent studies cited as evidence for 3/4 scaling also suffer from several statistical and data-related problems. Using a forest biomass dataset including 1 266 plots of 17 main forest types across China, we explored the scaling exponents between tree productivity and tree mass and found no universal value across forest stands. We conclude that there is not sufficient evidence to support the existence of a single constant scaling exponent for the metabolism-biomass relationship for terrestrial plants.

Effects of Copper on the Photosynthesis and Oxidative Metabolism of Amaranthus tricolor Seedlings

The objective of the present study was to gain better insight into the physiological mechanisms on the effects of copper （Cu） on photosynthesis and active oxygen metabolism in three-colored amaranth plant （Amaranthus tricolor）. Three- colored amaranth seedlings were subjected to different Cu levels in soils during the entire experimental period. The parameters of growth, photosynthesis, mineral elements contents, and active oxygen metabolism were investigated using plant physiological methods. The results showed that 2.0 and 4.0 mmol Cu kg^-1 treatments decreased the whole plant biomass to 91 and 73% of the control, respectively. The net photosynthetic rate （Pn） and the stomatal conductance （gs） were similarly reduced in the third leaves of three-colored amaranth seedlings treated with 2.0 and 4.0 mmol Cu kg^-1 soil, respectively. None of the investigated Cu levels decreased the internal CO2 concentration （Ci）. The effect of Cu on the potential efficiency of photosystem Ⅱ （Fv/Fm） was negligible, whereas the effect of Cu on the PS Ⅱ quantum efficiency （ΦPS Ⅱ） after plant adaptation in actinic irradiation was more noticeable. On the other hand, decreases in water percentage, contents of photosynthetic pigments and mineral elements including Fe, K, and Mg, and significant increase in the Cu content were observed in the third leaves of Cu-treated plants. Superoxide dismutase （SOD） and peroxidase （POD） activities as well as the proline （Pro） content significantly increased in the third leaves of the three-colored amaranth seedlings treated with 2.0 and 4.0 mmol Cu kg^-1 soil, while catalase （CAT） and ascorbate peroxidase （APX） activities as well as the contents of carotenoid （Car）, glutathione （GSH）, and ascorbic acid （AsA） decreased, and accompanied by the increases in the contents of hydrogen peroxide （H2O2）, superoxide anion （O2^-）, and malondialdehyde （MDA）, and electrolyte leakage. As a result of the imbalance of active oxygen metabolism, Pn and ΦPS Ⅱ decreased, and peroxidization enhanced under levels of 2.0 and 4.0 mmol Cu kg^-1 soil. Finally, the growth of three-colored amaranth plant was significantly inhibited.

Effects of rare earth elements on growth and metabolism of medicinal plants

The rare earth elements(REEs)are a set of 17 chemical elements.They include the lanthanide series from lanthanum(La)to lutetium(Lu),scandium(Sc),and yttrium(Y)in the periodic table.Although REEs are used widely in industry and agriculture in China for a long time,there has been increasing interest in application of REEs to medicinal plants in recent years.In this paper,we summarize researches in the past few decades regarding the effects of REEs on the germination of seeds,the growth of roots,total biomass,and the production of its secondary metabolites,as well as their effects on the absorption of minerals and metals by medicinal plants.By compilation and analysis of these data,we found that REEs have promoting effects at low concentrations and negative effects at comparatively high concentrations.However,most studies focused only on a few REEs,i.e.,La,cerium(Ce),neodymium(Nd)and europium(Eu),and they made main emphasis on their effects on regulation of secondary meta bolism in tissue-cultured plants,rather than cultivated medicinal plants.Advanced research should be invested regarding on the effects of REEs on yields of cultivated plants,specifically medicinal plants.

Research Progress on Nitrogen Use and Plant Growth

The application of nitrogen （N） fertilizers in agriculture has been increasing dramatically since 1970s. However, the over-fertilization causes could cause environmental problems, as well as low N use efficiency （NUE）. Promoting NUE in plants and minimizing the environmental impacts of N fertilizers had been the focus of the current research. We reviewed the importance of N, N metabolism and plant growth, plant N physiology and the molecular aspect of N metabolism in this paper. The future development of N use and NUE of plants was also discussed.

Lipid Metabolism: Critical Roles in Male Fertility and Other Aspects of Reproductive Development in Plants

Fatty acids and their derivatives are essential building blocks for anther cuticle and pollen wall formation.Disruption of lipid metabolism during anther and pollen development often leads to genic male sterility(GMS).To date,many lipid metabolism-related GMS genes that are involved in the formation of anther cuticle,pollen wall,and subcellular organelle membranes in anther wall layers have been identified and characterized.In this review,we summarize recent progress on characterizing lipid metabolism-related genes and their roles in male fertility and other aspects of reproductive development in plants.On the basis of cloned GMS genes controlling biosynthesis and transport of anther cutin,wax,sporopollenin,and tryphine\r\Arabidopsis,rice,and maize as well as other plant species,updated lipid metabolic networks underlying anther cuticle development and pollen wall formation were proposed.Through bioinformatics analysis of anther RNA-sequencing datasets from three maize inbred lines(Oh43,W23,and B73),a total of 125 novel lipid metabolism-related genes putatively involved in male fertility in maize were deduced.More,we discuss the pathways regulating lipid metabolism-related GMS genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.Finally,we highlight recent findings on lipid metabolism-related genes and their roles in other aspects of plant reproductive development.A comprehensive understanding of lipid metabolism,genes involved,and their roles in plant reproductive development will facilitate the application of lipid metabolism-related genes in gene editing,haploid and callus induction,molecular breeding and hybrid seed production in crops.

Depletion of the Ozone Layer and Its Consequences: A Review

Ozone (O3) is a stratospheric layer that plays important role in providing support to humans for their survival. It is an essential factor for many global, biological and environmental phenomena. The ultra-violet (UV) rays emitted from sun are captured by ozone and thereby provide a stable ontological structure in the biosphere. Various anthropogenic activities such as emissions of CFCs, HCFCs and other organo-halogens lead to the depletion of ozone. The ozone depletion resulted in secondary production of an ozone layer near the ground (terrestrial ozone layer), which is responsible for adverse effects on plants, humans and environment with increased number of bronchial diseases in humans. The mutations caused by UV rays result in variation in morphogenic traits of plants which ultimately decreases crop productivity. However, UV radiation is required in optimum intensity for both plants and animals. This review takes into an account the wide ranging effects of ozone depletion with a majority of them being detrimental to the plant system.

General and specialized tyrosine metabolism pathways in plants

The tyrosine metabolism pathway serves as a starting point for the production of a variety of structurally diverse natural compounds in plants,such as tocopherols,plastoquinone,ubiquinone,betalains,salidroside,benzylisoquinoline alkaloids,and so on.Among these,tyrosine-derived metabolites,tocopherols,plastoquinone,and ubiquinone are essential to plant survival.In addition,this pathway provides us essential micronutrients(e.g.,vitamin E and ubiquinone)and medicine(e.g.,morphine,salidroside,and salvianolic acid B).However,our knowledge of the plant tyrosine metabolism pathway remains rudimentary,and genes encoding the pathway enzymes have not been fully defined.In this review,we summarize and discuss recent advances in the tyrosine metabolism pathway,key enzymes,and important tyrosine-derived metabolites in plants.

Formation and emission characteristics of VOCs from a coal-fired power plant

On-site measurements of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in different streams of flue gas were carried out on a real coal-fired power plant using sampling bags and SUMMA canisters to collect gas samples,filters to collect particle samples.Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was the offline analysis method.We found that the total mass concentration of the tested 102 VOC species at the outlet of wet flue gas desulfuration device was(13456±47)μg·m^(-3),which contained aliphatic hydrocarbons(57.9%),aromatic hydrocarbons(26.8%),halogen-containing species(14.5%),and a small amount of oxygen-containing and nitrogencontaining species.The most abundant species were 1-hexene,n-hexane and 2-methylpentane.The top ten species in terms of mass fraction(with a total mass fraction of 75.3%)were mainly hydrocarbons with a carbon number of 6 or higher and halogenated hydrocarbons with a lower carbon number.The mass concentration of VOC species in the particle phase was significantly lower than that in the gas phase.The change of VOC mass concentrations along the air pollution control devices indicates that conventional pollutant control equipment had a limited effect on VOC reduction.Ozone formation potential calculations showed that aromatic hydrocarbons contributed the highest ozone formation(46.4%)due to their relatively high mass concentrations and MIR(maximum increment reactivity)values.

Plant peroxisomes at the crossroad of NO and H2O2 metabolism

Plant peroxisomes are subcellular compartments involved in many biochemical pathways during the life cycle of a plant but also in the mechanism of response against adverse environmental conditions.These organelles have an active nitro-oxidative metabolism under physiological conditions but this could be exacerbated under stress situations.Furthermore,peroxisomes have the capacity to proliferateand also undergo biochemical adaptations depending on the surrounding cellular status.An important characteristic of peroxisomes is that they have a dynamic metabolism of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species(RNS and ROS)which generates two key molecules,nitric oxide(NO)and hydrogen peroxide(H2O2).These molecules can exert signaling functions by means of post-translational modifications that affect the functionality of target molecules like proteins,peptides or fatty acids.This review provides an overview of the endogenous metabolism of ROS and RNS in peroxisomes with special emphasis on polyamine and uric acid metabolism as well as the possibility that these organelles could be a source of signal molecules involved in the functional interconnection with other subcellular compartments.

Anticancer Activities of Plant Secondary Metabolites:Rice Callus Suspension Culture as a New Paradigm

Plant natural products including alkaloids,polyphenols,terpenoids and flavonoids have been reported to exert anticancer activity by targeting various metabolic pathways.The biological pathways regulated by plant products can serve as novel drug targets.Plant natural compounds or their derivatives used for cancer treatment and some novel plant-based compounds which are used in clinical trials were discussed.Callus suspension culture with secondary metabolites can provide a continuous source of plant pharmaceuticals without time and space limitations.Previous research has shown that rice callus suspension culture can kill>95%cancer cells with no significant effect on the growth of normal cells.The role of candidate genes and metabolites which are likely to be involved in the process and their potential to serve as anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents were discussed.Large scale production of plant callus suspension culture and its constituents can be achieved using elicitors which enhance specific secondary metabolites combined with bioprocess technology.

Plant Metabolic Network 15:A resource of genome-wide metabolism databases for 126 plants and algae

To understand and engineer plant metabolism, we need a comprehensive and accurate annotation of all metabolic information across plant species. As a step towards this goal, we generated genome-scale metabolic pathway databases of 126 algal and plant genomes, ranging from model organisms to crops to medicinal plants(https://plantcyc.org).Of these, 104 have not been reported before.We systematically evaluated the quality of the databases, which revealed that our semi-automated validation pipeline dramatically improves the quality. We then compared the metabolic content across the 126 organisms using multiple correspondence analysis and found that Brassicaceae,Poaceae, and Chlorophyta appeared as metabolically distinct groups. To demonstrate the utility of this resource, we used recently published sorghum transcriptomics data to discover previously unreported trends of metabolism underlying drought tolerance. We also used single-cell transcriptomics data from the Arabidopsis root to infer cell typespecific metabolic pathways. This work shows the quality and quantity of our resource and demonstrates its wide-ranging utility in integrating metabolism with other areas of plant biology.