Is competitive ability the key adaptation to benign environments? Revisiting experiments on closely related species of tidal plants.

A central goal in biology is to understand which traits underlie adaptation to different environments. Yet, few studies have examined the relative contribution of competitive ability towards adaptive divergence among species occupying distinct environments. Here, we test the relative importance of competitive ability as an adaptation to relatively benign versus challenging environments, using previously published studies of closely related species pairs of primarily tidal plants subjected to reciprocal removal with transplant experiments in nature. Subordinate species typically occupy more challenging environments and showed consistent evidence for adaptation to challenging conditions, with no significant competitive effect on non-local, dominant species. In contrast, dominant species typically occupy relatively benign environments and performed significantly better than non-local, subordinate species that faced competition from the dominant species. Surprisingly, when the two species were not allowed to compete, the subordinate species performed as well as the dominant species in the benign environments where the subordinate species do not occur. These results suggest that competitive ability is the most important adaptation distinguishing the species that occupy relatively benign environments. The limited scope and number of suitable experimental studies encourage future work to test if these results are generalizable across taxa and environments.

Role of plant neurotransmitters in salt stress: A critical review.

Neurotransmitters are naturally found in many plants, but the molecular processes that govern their actions still need to be better understood. Acetylcholine, γ-Aminobutyric acid, histamine, melatonin, serotonin, and glutamate are the most common neurotransmitters in animals, and they all play a part in the development and information processing. It is worth noting that all these chemicals have been found in plants. Although much emphasis has been placed on understanding how neurotransmitters regulate mood and behaviour in humans, little is known about how they regulate plant growth and development. In this article, the information was reviewed and updated considering current thinking on neurotransmitter signaling in plants' metabolism, growth, development, salt tolerance, and the associated avenues for underlying research. The goal of this study is to advance neurotransmitter signaling research in plant biology, especially in the area of salt stress physiology.

Shifting the paradigm: The role of introduced plants in the resiliency of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change.

Current ecological communities are in a constant state of flux from climate change and from species introductions. Recent discussion has focused on the positive roles introduced species can play in ecological communities and on the importance of conserving resilient ecosystems, but not how these two ideas intersect. There has been insufficient work to define the attributes needed to support ecosystem resilience to climate change in modern communities. Here, I argue that non-invasive, introduced plant species could play an important role in supporting the resilience of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. Using examples from multiple taxonomic groups and ecosystems, I discuss how introduced plants can contribute to ecosystem resilience via their roles in plant and insect communities, as well as their associated ecosystem functions. I highlight the current and potential contributions of introduced plants and where there are critical knowledge gaps. Determining when and how introduced plants are contributing to the resilience of ecosystems to climate change will contribute to effective conservation strategies.

Temporal dynamics of Grime's CSR strategies in plant communities during 60 years of succession.

Grime's competitive, stress-tolerant, ruderal (CSR) theory predicts a shift in plant communities from ruderal to stress-tolerant strategies during secondary succession. However, this fundamental tenet lacks empirical validation using long-term continuous successional data. Utilizing a 60-year longitudinal data of old-field succession, we investigated the community-level dynamics of plant strategies over time. Our findings reveal that while plant communities generally transitioned from ruderal to stress-tolerant strategies during succession, initial abandonment conditions crucially shaped early successional strategies, leading to varied strategy trajectories across different fields. Furthermore, we found a notable divergence in the CSR strategies of alien and native species over succession. Initially, alien and native species exhibited similar ruderal strategies, but in later stages, alien species exhibited higher ruderal and lower stress tolerance compared to native species. Overall, our findings underscore the applicability of Grime's predictions regarding temporal shifts in CSR strategies depending on both initial community conditions and species origin.

Abiotic Stress Tolerance Boosted by Genetic Diversity in Plants.

Plant breeding [...].

Molecular Insight of Plants Response to Drought Stress: Perspectives and New Insights towards Food Security.

In the face of climate-induced challenges, understanding the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in plants has become imperative [...].

Systems biology of plant metabolic interactions.

Metabolism is the key cellular process of plant physiology. Understanding metabolism and its dynamical behavior under different conditions may help plant biotechnologists to design new cultivars with desired goals. Computational systems biochemistry and incorporation of different omics data unravelled active metabolism and its variations in plants. In this review, we mainly focus on the basics of flux balance analysis (FBA), elementary flux mode analysis (EFMA), and some advanced computational tools. We describe some important results that were obtained using these tools. Limitations and challenges are also discussed.

SnapShot: Condensates in plant biology.

Plant cells share a number of biological condensates with cells from other eukaryotes. There are, however, a growing number of plant-specific condensates that support different cellular functions. Condensates operating in different plant tissues contribute to aspects of development and stress responses. To view this SnapShot, open or download the PDF.

The "plant neurobiology" revolution.

The 21st-century "plant neurobiology" movement is an amalgam of scholars interested in how "neural processes", broadly defined, lead to changes in plant behavior. Integral to the movement (now called plant behavioral biology) is a triad of historically marginalized subdisciplines, namely plant ethology, whole plant electrophysiology and plant comparative psychology, that set plant neurobiology apart from the mainstream. A central tenet held by these "triad disciplines" is that plants are exquisitely sensitive to environmental perturbations and that destructive experimental manipulations rapidly and profoundly affect plant function. Since destructive measurements have been the norm in plant physiology, much of our "textbook knowledge" concerning plant physiology is unrelated to normal plant function. As such, scientists in the triad disciplines favor a more natural and holistic approach toward understanding plant function. By examining the history, philosophy, sociology and psychology of the triad disciplines, this paper refutes in eight ways the criticism that plant neurobiology presents nothing new, and that the topics of plant neurobiology fall squarely under the purview of mainstream plant physiology. It is argued that although the triad disciplines and mainstream plant physiology share the common goal of understanding plant function, they are distinct in having their own intellectual histories and epistemologies.

Extending cognition: a vegetal rejoinder to extensionless thought and to extended cognition.

In this paper, we propose a crucial supplement to the framework of plant cognition, namely extending cognition. We argue that plants and other organisms with an open-ended body plan actively extend their cognition when growing tissues or organs. Their cognition expands with their body expansion. After considering the defining features of extending cognition, we present a model where growth, along with aspects of plant physiology (e.g. biochemical exudates), as well as the "negative extension" of growing away from obstacles or stressful environments, are the building blocks for a more refined understanding of plant cognition. We conclude by outlining the general implications of the theory of extending cognition and indicating directions for future research.

Using Infrared Thermography for High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping.

Infrared thermography offers a rapid, noninvasive method for measuring plant temperature, which provides a proxy for stomatal conductance and plant water status and can therefore be used as an index for plant stress. Thermal imaging can provide an efficient method for high-throughput screening of large numbers of plants. This chapter provides guidelines for using thermal imaging equipment and illustrative methodologies, coupled with essential considerations, to access plant physiological processes.

Methods for Functional Physiological Phenotyping and High-Order Data Quantification.

This chapter presents the application of Plantarray, a high-throughput platform commercially available for noninvasive monitoring of plant functional physiology phenotyping (FPP). The platform continuously measures water flux in the soil-plant-atmosphere for each plant in dynamic environments. To better interpret the massive phenotypic data acquired with FPP, several quantitative analysis methods were demonstrated for various types of data. Simple mathematical models were utilized to fit characteristic parameters of plant transpiration response to drought stress. Additionally, ecophysiological models were employed to quantify the sensitivity of transpiration to radiation and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) as component traits and predict more complex higher-order traits. The established protocols provide a tangible tool for integrating FPP and model analysis to address complex traits.

Carbon nanotubes in plant dynamics: Unravelling multifaceted roles and phytotoxic implications.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as a promising frontier in plant science owing to their unique physicochemical properties and versatile applications. CNTs enhance stress tolerance by improving water dynamics and nutrient uptake and activating defence mechanisms against abiotic and biotic stresses. They can be taken up by roots and translocated within the plant, impacting water retention, nutrient assimilation, and photosynthesis. CNTs have shown promise in modulating plant-microbe interactions, influencing symbiotic relationships and mitigating the detrimental effects of phytopathogens. CNTs have demonstrated the ability to modulate gene expression in plants, offering a powerful tool for targeted genetic modifications. The integration of CNTs as sensing elements in plants has opened new avenues for real-time monitoring of environmental conditions and early detection of stress-induced changes. In the realm of agrochemicals, CNTs have been explored for their potential as carriers for targeted delivery of nutrients, pesticides, and other bioactive compounds. CNTs have the potential to demonstrate phytotoxic effects, detrimentally influencing both the growth and developmental processes of plants. Phytotoxicity is characterized by induction of oxidative stress, impairment of cellular integrity, disruption of photosynthetic processes, perturbation of nutrient homeostasis, and alterations in gene expression. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the multifaceted roles of CNTs in plant physiology, emphasizing their potential applications and addressing the existing challenges in translating this knowledge into sustainable agricultural practices.

ROS are universal cell-to-cell stress signals.

The interplay between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the redox state of cells is deeply rooted in the biology of almost all organisms, regulating development, growth, and responses to the environment. Recent studies revealed that the ROS levels and redox state of one cell can be transmitted, as an information 'state' or 'currency', to other cells and spread by cell-to-cell communication within an entire community of cells or an organism. Here, we discuss the different pathways that mediate cell-to-cell signaling in plants, their hierarchy, and the different mechanisms that transmit ROS/redox signaling between different cells. We further hypothesize that ROS/redox signaling between different organisms could play a key role within the 'one world' principle, impacting human health and our future.

Induced resistance to herbivory and the intelligent plant.

Plant induced responses to environmental stressors are increasingly studied in a behavioral ecology context. This is particularly true for plant induced responses to herbivory that mediate direct and indirect defenses, and tolerance. These seemingly adaptive alterations of plant defense phenotypes in the context of other environmental conditions have led to the discussion of such responses as intelligent behavior. Here we consider the concept of plant intelligence and some of its predictions for chemical information transfer in plant interaction with other organisms. Within this framework, the flow, perception, integration, and storage of environmental information are considered tunable dials that allow plants to respond adaptively to attacking herbivores while integrating past experiences and environmental cues that are predictive of future conditions. The predictive value of environmental information and the costs of acting on false information are important drivers of the evolution of plant responses to herbivory. We identify integrative priming of defense responses as a mechanism that allows plants to mitigate potential costs associated with acting on false information. The priming mechanisms provide short- and long-term memory that facilitates the integration of environmental cues without imposing significant costs. Finally, we discuss the ecological and evolutionary prediction of the plant intelligence hypothesis.

Genome-wide identification and evolutionary analysis of the NRAMP gene family in the AC genomes of Brassica species.

BACKGROUND: Brassica napus, a hybrid resulting from the crossing of Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea, is one of the most important oil crops. Despite its significance, B. napus productivity faces substantial challenges due to heavy metal stress, especially in response to cadmium (Cd), which poses a significant threat among heavy metals. Natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (NRAMPs) play pivotal roles in Cd uptake and transport within plants. However, our understanding of the role of BnNRAMPs in B. napus is limited. Thus, this study aimed to conduct genome-wide identification and bioinformatics analysis of three Brassica species: B. napus, B. rapa, and B. oleracea. RESULTS: A total of 37 NRAMPs were identified across the three Brassica species and classified into two distinct subfamilies based on evolutionary relationships. Conservative motif analysis revealed that motif 6 and motif 8 might significantly contribute to the differentiation between subfamily I and subfamily II within Brassica species. Evolutionary analyses and chromosome mapping revealed a reduction in the NRAMP gene family during B. napus evolutionary history, resulting in the loss of an orthologous gene derived from BoNRAMP3.2. Cis-acting element analysis suggested potential regulation of the NRAMP gene family by specific plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). However, gene expression pattern analyses under hormonal or stress treatments indicated limited responsiveness of the NRAMP gene family to these treatments, warranting further experimental validation. Under Cd stress in B. napus, expression pattern analysis of the NRAMP gene family revealed a decrease in the expression levels of most BnNRAMP genes with increasing Cd concentrations. Notably, BnNRAMP5.1/5.2 exhibited a unique response pattern, being stimulated at low Cd concentrations and inhibited at high Cd concentrations, suggesting potential response mechanisms distinct from those of other NRAMP genes. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study indicates complex molecular dynamics within the NRAMP gene family under Cd stress, suggesting potential applications in enhancing plant resilience, particularly against Cd. The findings also offer valuable insights for further understanding the functionality and regulatory mechanisms of the NRAMP gene family.

Role of calcium nutrition in plant Physiology: Advances in research and insights into acidic soil conditions - A comprehensive review.

Plant mineral nutrition has immense significance for crop productivity and human well-being. Soil acidity plays a major role in determining the nutrient availability that influences plant growth. The importance of calcium (Ca) in biological processes, such as signaling, metabolism, and cell growth, underlines its critical role in plant growth and development. This review focuses on soil acidification, a gradual process resulting from cation leaching, fertilizer utilization, and drainage issues. Soil acidification significantly hampers global crop production by modifying nutrient accessibility. In acidic soils, essential nutrients, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and Ca become less accessible, establishing a correlation between soil pH and plant nutrition. Cutting-edge Ca nutrition technologies, including nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and genome sequencing, offer the potential to deliver Ca and reduce the reliance on conventional soluble fertilizers. These fertilizers not only contribute to environmental contamination but also impose economic burdens on farmers. Nanotechnology can enhance nutrient uptake, and Ca nanoparticles improve nutrient absorption and release. Genetic engineering enables the cultivation of acid-tolerant crop varieties by manipulating Ca-related genes. High-throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing and microarrays aid in identifying the microbial structures, functions, and biosynthetic pathways involved in managing plant nutritional stress. The ultimate goal is to shed light on the importance of Ca, problems associated with soil acidity, and potential of emerging technologies to enhance crop production while minimizing the environmental impact and economic burden on farmers.

A general pattern of plant traits and their relationships with environmental factors and microbial life-history strategies.

The trait-based unidimensional plant economics spectrum provides a valuable framework for understanding plant adaptation strategies to the environment. However, it is still uncertain whether there is a general multidimensionality of how variation of both leaf and fine root traits are influenced by environmental factors, and how these relate to microbial resource strategies. Here, we examined the coordination patterns of four pairs of similar leaf and fine root traits of herbaceous plants in an alpine meadow at the community-level, and their environmental driving patterns. We then assessed their correlation with microbial life-history strategies, as these exhibit analogous resource strategies with plants in terms of growth and resource utilization efficiency. Results exhibited an analogous multidimensionality of the economics spectrum for leaf and fine root traits: the first dimension, collaboration gradient, primarily represented a tradeoff between lifespan and resource foraging efficiency; the second dimension, conservation gradient, primarily represented a tradeoff between conservation and acquisition in resource uptake. Climate variables had a stronger impact on both dimensions for leaf and fine root traits than soil variables did; whereas, the primary drivers were more complex for fine root traits than for leaf traits. The collaboration gradient of leaf and fine root traits exhibited consistent relationships with soil microbial life-history strategies, both showed negative and positive correlation with bacterial and fungal strategies, respectively. Our findings suggest that both leaves and fine roots have general multidimensional strategies for adapting to new environments and provide a solid basis for further understanding the relationships between the adaptive strategies of plants and microbes.