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Open access
Jul 2026
Integrative methylome and transcriptome analysis reveals genotype and sequence context-specific responses to aluminum stress in rice
It is suggested that Al stress triggers genotype- and sequence-context-specific epigenomic reprogramming in rice, and that tolerance is associated with a targeted methylation response rather than a diffuse one.
J. Gallo-Franco, Chrystian C. Sosa, F. Johannes et al.
· Frontiers in Plant Science · 0 citations
Open access
Aug 2026
Amelioration of cadmium toxicity in Vicia faba via modulation of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase gene expression by biochar and nanobiochar
Results indicated that Cd significantly decreased plant growth parameters and chlorophyll levels under Cd stress and biochar and nano-biochar effectively reduced the harmful effects of Cd on plant growth, improved physiological responses, and modulated the expression of the COMT gene.
Sherifa F. M. Dawoud, M. Rehan, F. Safhi et al.
· Scientific Reports · 0 citations
Open access
Jul 2026
GPX Knockdown Is Associated with Altered Redox Homeostasis, Plant Development, and DNA Methylation-Related Profiles in Rice
Background: Glutathione peroxidases (GPXs) regulate peroxide detoxification and redox signaling, but their relationship with DNA methylation remains unclear in Oryza sativa. This study evaluated whether silencing mitochondrial GPX1 and GPX3 is associated with changes in growth, antioxidant activity, and DNA methylation-related profiles. Methods: Non-transformed plants (NT) and five GPX-silenced lines were evaluated in a randomized complete block design. Morphophysiological traits, antioxidant enzyme activities, total 5-methylcytosine content, and methylation-sensitive restriction profiles were analyzed. Results: GPX silencing impaired early establishment and significantly affected flowering time and leaf, root, seed, and total biomass. Total dry biomass decreased by 62.1% in the most affected GPX1 lines and by 29.2% in GPX3 lines relative to NT plants. Root biomass declined by up to 86.1%, and flowering was delayed by up to 30.7 days. Genotype significantly affected GPX-associated and glutathione reductase activities, whereas no significant genotype effects were detected for catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, or superoxide dismutase activities. GPX-associated and glutathione reductase activities were strongly correlated (r = 0.85, p < 0.001), consistent with selective alteration of GPX-associated and glutathione-linked redox metabolism. Total 5-methylcytosine content decreased by 41–42% in GPX-silenced groups. However, increased McrBC digestion and unchanged HpaII/MspI profiles indicated that methylation-related changes were nonuniform and depended on the genomic sites recognized by each enzymatic assay. Conclusions: These findings show that mitochondrial GPX knockdown is associated with impaired rice growth and reproductive development, as well as with altered total 5-methylcytosine content and restriction-sensitive methylation profiles, suggesting a potential relationship among redox homeostasis, developmental regulation, and epigenetic plasticity that requires further validation using locus-resolved and mechanistic approaches.
P. A. Velasquez-Vasconez, Marina de Lima Nogueira, Carlos Betancourth García et al.
· Epigenomes · 0 citations
Open access
Aug 2026
Abscisic acid–regulated stability of CmABF1 and CmBRM modulates salt tolerance in chrysanthemum via epigenetic regulation of CmHSFA4
It is shown that salt stress–induced ABA accumulation up-regulates Heat Shock Factor 4 (CmHSFA4), a gene that is known to enhance chrysanthemum salt tolerance, and an ABA-SnRK2.2-ABF1/BRM signaling module that integrates phosphorylation-dependent protein stabilization and degradation with histone methylation dynamics to fine-tune salt stress–responsive gene expression in chrysanthemum is revealed.
Xinhui Wang, Han Wang, Hong-Yu Wei et al.
· Science Advances · 0 citations
Jul 2026
Mitigation of bensulfuron-methyl induced multiple stress responses in Cucumis sativus L. by biostimulants: A comprehensive metabolic and molecular docking approach.
Sulfonylurea herbicides, such as bensulfuron-methyl (BM), are widely used around the world, but they pose a severe risk of phytotoxicity to crop plants that are not the herbicide's target, disrupting their physiological and metabolic homeostasis. Although biostimulants (BS) are increasingly recognised for alleviating abiotic stress, the mechanisms by which they mitigate herbicide toxicity across multiple pathways remain poorly investigated. This study comprehensively elucidates the morphological, physiological, biochemical, cytogenetic and molecular responses of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings to BM toxicity, as well as the restorative capacity of an amino acid-based BS. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to BM significantly suppresses plant biomass and triggers severe oxidative stress, as evidenced by the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS; H₂O₂ and malondialdehyde (MDA)). This systemic toxicity severely disrupted nutritional homeostasis and phytohormone profiles, notably inhibiting the biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA) and salicylic acid (SA) while increasing abscisic acid (ABA). Conversely, the application of exogenous BSs effectively reversed these phytotoxic damages by upregulating antioxidant defence enzymes (SOD, CAT and POD) and restoring mineral uptake and hormonal networks. Furthermore, anatomical and cytogenetic assessments in Allium cepa revealed that BM induced structural deformations and chromosomal aberrations, which were significantly mitigated by BS pretreatment. Molecular docking simulations confirmed that BM exerts its toxicity by directly binding to essential proteins (e.g. ICL, CAT and POD) and DNA structures, thereby blocking their normal functions. In conclusion, this study provides profound mechanistic insights into the multiple stress responses induced by BM and reveals the ability of amino acid-based BSs to mitigate the effects of herbicide contamination, offering a sustainable strategy to protect agricultural productivity.
Merve Yuce Er, G. Karadayi, Yusuf Gulsahin et al.
· Journal of Hazardous Materia... · 0 citations
Aug 2026
Synergistic regulation of cadmium tolerance by a 2 C protein phosphatase and nano molybdenum by modulating cellular structure, metal transport, and redox homeostasis in polyploid rice.
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in rice systems poses a significant risk to food safety and human health, necessitating the identification of key genetic regulators and develop effective mitigation strategies. In this study, the role of the protein phosphatase 2 C gene NY1 in Cd tolerance was investigated using a CRISPR/Cas9-derived ny1 mutant in neo-tetraploid rice, and the potential of molybdenum oxide nanoparticles (MoO₃-NPs) to alleviate Cd toxicity was evaluated. Under Cd stress, loss of NY1 function significantly increased plant sensitivity, as evidenced by greater reductions in growth and photosynthetic pigments, higher Cd accumulation, and increased oxidative damage compared to the wild type. The ny1 mutant exhibited disrupted redox homeostasis, characterized by higher levels of H2O2 and malondialdehyde and reduced activities of key antioxidant enzymes. Cytological analyses revealed severe damage to root cell cellular architecture and xylem structure in ny1 under Cd exposure. Transcriptome profiling further demonstrated that NY1 regulates Cd tolerance by coordinating genes involved in metal uptake and transport, oxidative stress responses, cytoskeletal organization, and DNA replication and repair. Genes linked to Cd sequestration and detoxification were downregulated in ny1, whereas uptake-related transporters were upregulated, contributing to increased Cd accumulation. Application of MoO3-NPs partially mitigated Cd toxicity in both genotypes by reducing Cd uptake, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and improving physiological performance, although the mutant remained more sensitive than the wild type. The results indicate that NY1 is vital in enhancing Cd tolerance in tetraploid rice by regulating metal transport and redox homeostasis. They also highlight MoO₃-NPs as a promising supplementary strategy for reducing Cd accumulation in rice ecosystems. These findings provide valuable insight into the potential application of nanomaterials for mitigating Cd contamination in rice cultivation. Nevertheless, further research is required to evaluate their long-term efficacy, environmental safety, and practical applicability under field conditions.
M. Shahid, Zihan Lin, Lixia Sun et al.
· Journal of Hazardous Materia... · 0 citations