Biology and Life Sciences

Abstract:

Sustainable agriculture has become a major priority in modern agricultural research and practice due to increasing concerns regarding climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and long-term food security. In this context, soil-conserving cultivation systems, such as no-till and reduced tillage technologies, are increasingly promoted because they improve soil structure, enhance water retention and organic matter accumulation, reduce erosion, and contribute to more environmentally sustainable crop production systems. This study evaluated the effects of selected sustainable agricultural technologies, including no-till, minimum tillage, and mulch-till soil tillage systems, on the nutritional composition of grains of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn (Zea mays L.). The contents of starch, total dietary fibre, beta-glucans, proteins, and lipids were analysed in mature grains during two years of cultivation. The type of cereal was the dominant factor determining grain composition. Corn showed the highest starch (77.20%) and lipid (3.66%) contents, wheat accumulated the highest protein concentration (12.02%), and barley was characterized by the highest total dietary fibre (13.36%) and beta-glucans (3.75%) contents. Significant negative correlations were detected between starch and dietary fibre (r = −0.823) and between starch and beta-glucans (r = −0.827), indicating metabolic trade-offs between storage and structural compounds. Harvest year significantly influenced proteins, total dietary fibre, and lipids, whereas soil tillage exerted a weaker and metabolite-specific effect. No-till tillage technology generally promoted higher total dietary fibre, beta-glucans, and lipid contents. Principal component analysis confirmed cereal species as the major source of variability, followed by harvest year, while soil tillage showed comparatively limited effects. The results demonstrate that cereal grain nutritional quality is governed primarily by genotype, with environmental and agronomic factors acting as secondary modifiers.

Abstract: The genus Ferula (Apiaceae) is taxonomically challenging because of morphological plasticity, incomplete lineage sorting, and documented discordance between nuclear and plastid datasets. To test marker congruence at the regional scale, we analysed five Ferula species from Central Kazakhstan using the nuclear ITS2 and plastid psbA–trnH loci. Sequences were aligned with MUSCLE and analysed in MEGA X using Maximum Likelihood with 1000 bootstrap replicates and model selection based on the Akaike Information Criterion. Both loci yielded largely congruent topologies, and the two-locus consensus recovered species-level relationships without strongly supported cytonuclear conflict, unlike some previously reported Ferula lineages. These results support the utility of ITS2 and psbA–trnH for regional phylogenetic studies in Ferula and provide additional molecular evidence for species relationships in Central Asian representatives of Ferulinae.

Abstract: Rosa damascena Mill. is a medicinal and aromatic species of major pharmacological and economic importance, widely valued for its complex profile of bioactive secondary metabolites. While extensive research has focused on field-grown plants and essential oils, comparatively little attention has been devoted to the behavior of R. damascena under vitro conditions. Plant tissue culture systems provide controlled platforms for investigating secondary metabolism independently of environmental variability; however, their application to R. damascena has produced heterogeneous and often inconsistent results. This review examines the main in vitro culture systems developed for R. damascena, including callus, suspension, and organ-derived cultures, with emphasis on their capacity to accumulate secondary metabolites. Available evidence indicates that undifferentiated cultures generally fail to reproduce the full metabolic complexity observed in planta, particularly for volatile monoterpenes associated with tissue specialization. Nevertheless, several studies demonstrate that in vitro systems can accumulate phenolic compounds with relevant biological activities, supporting their use as experimental models for investigating metabolic regulation. By integrating early studies with recent advances in plant biotechnology, this review highlights current limitations, unresolved questions, and future perspectives for the use of R. damascena in vitro cultures in medicinal plant research.

Abstract: Background: With the intensification of global climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, medicinal plants are facing unprecedented challenges to their survival environments. Understanding the impacts of ecological threats on medicinal plants is crucial for formulating conservation strategies and ensuring the sustainable utilization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) resources. Methods: This study employed a scoping review methodology to systematically search databases including CNKI, Wanfang Data, and PubMed, incorporating both Chinese and English literature. A conceptual map was constructed to analyze the response mechanisms, distribution changes, and conservation status of medicinal plants under ecological threats. Results: The review synthesizes a wide range of evidence from both Chinese and international literature. Our mapping reveals that: (1) Ecological threats are extensively documented, with habitat loss and climate change being the primary drivers; (2) The responses of medicinal plants are mainly manifested as population decline, range shifts, and alterations in secondary metabolites; (3) Current conservation efforts focus heavily on ex-situ protection, while research on climate change adaptation management remains insufficient. Conclusion: This study systematically outlines the current research landscape regarding medicinal plants under ecological threats, revealing the characteristics and gaps in existing evidence. Future research should strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, focusing on adaptive evolution and ecological restoration technologies to address the escalating environmental challenges. Methods：Search Strategy：A systematic literature search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The search was restricted to articles published from January 2015 to May 5. The search strategy combined terms related to climate change (e.g., "climate change", "global warming", "drought stress", "elevated CO₂") and medicinal plants (e.g., "medicinal plant*", "herbal medicine", "traditional Chinese medicine"). Targeted searches for specific species (e.g., Scutellaria baicalensis, Panax ginseng, Gastrodia elata) were also performed. Eligibility Criteria：Peer-reviewed original research articles, reviews, and authoritative reports (e.g., IPCC Assessment Reports) were included if they addressed climate change impacts on medicinal plant distribution, physiology, biochemistry, molecular mechanisms, or quality. Articles published in English or Chinese were included. Conference abstracts, editorials, and non-peer-reviewed materials were excluded. Only articles published from 2015 onwards were considered. Selection of Sources of Evidence：Title and abstract screening was performed by one author (Y.C.). Full-text screening was subsequently conducted by the same author against the eligibility criteria. To verify consistency, the other author (Z.Z.) independently screened a random 20% sample of the included full-text articles. Disagreements between the two authors were resolved through discussion. The retrieved records were compiled and managed manually. Data Charting Process：A data-charting form was developed by the two authors (Y.C. and Z.Z.) to extract relevant information based on the review objectives. The form was pilot-tested on three randomly selected articles and refined iteratively. The following information was extracted from each included source: (1) article characteristics (author, year, country, plant species); (2) climate stressors examined (e.g., warming, drought, elevated CO₂); (3) reported impacts on distribution, phenology, physiology, and active components; (4) physiological, molecular, and ecological mechanisms; and (5) adaptation strategies. Data were extracted by Y.C. and verified by Z.Z. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion. Critical Appraisal of Individual Sources of Evidence：Consistent with the scoping review objective of mapping the breadth of existing evidence, a formal critical appraisal of methodological quality was not performed. This decision aligns with PRISMA-ScR guidance, which notes that critical appraisal is optional in scoping reviews.

Abstract: Epigenetic regulation has played a major role in the evolution of plant sexual reproduction. Across more than a billion years, ancestral genome-defence mechanisms in early eukaryotes were progressively expanded, diversified, and repurposed throughout the green lineage. Streptophyte algae assembled the first plant-specific methylation and small RNA systems, providing pre-adaptations for terrestrial reproduction. In bryophytes and early vascular plants, these systems became integrated into gametophyte development, sporogenesis, and meiotic genome protection. Seed plants experienced substantial diversification and expansion of chromatin regulators and small RNA machinery, enabling increasingly sophisticated control of cone, ovule, and embryo development. Angiosperms underwent the most dramatic re-wiring of epigenetic pathways, including gene-family diversification, subfunctionalization, and the emergence of imprinting, endosperm-specific demethylation, and lineage-specific reproductive small RNAs such as phasiRNAs. Convergent solutions, including imprinting, meiotic TE silencing, and TE-derived regulatory elements, arose independently across lineages. Ecological and life-history pressures further shaped epigenetic diversification, linking environmental stress, mating systems, and domestication to reproductive epigenetic plasticity. Together, these findings reveal epigenetic regulation as a dynamic, modular, and deeply evolvable framework that has repeatedly enabled reproductive innovation throughout plant evolution.

Abstract: As sessile organisms, plants have developed intricate strategies to interact with their environment, including a variety of plant-plant interactions that range from mutualistic to antagonistic. Among these interactions, plant grafting stands out as a significant horticultural technique for enhancing productivity, disease resistance, and stress tolerance. Despite its widespread application, the mechanisms underlying graft compatibility remain poorly understood. This review explores the diverse field of plant-plant interactions, focusing on parallel mechanisms from other systems that may explain how “non-self” is determined during graft incompatibility. We first discuss the role of inter-plant signaling and the possibility of exudate-regulated compatibility. Next, we identify similarities between the parasitic plant haustoria and graft junctions, offering valuable insights into overcoming immunologic and physiologic barriers during vascular reconnection. We then delve into the potential roles of wound signaling and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) in grafting. Lastly, we provide an overview of pollen self-incompatibility as a case study for the detection of non-self throughout the plant kingdom. Overall, this review underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches to unravel the complexities of graft compatibility, suggesting that future research should integrate knowledge from various fields of plant-plant interactions to improve the utilization of grafting and expand graft compatibility.

Abstract: Maize is a major global crop; however, its production is affected by Fusarium verticillioides (Fv), which causes stalk, ear, and root rot (SERR). Bacillus cereus B25 is a maize bacterium that antagonizes Fv, likely through antifungal compounds and possibly by inducing of maize chitinase genes. Fv effectively infects maize by producing a chitinase-modifying protein (Cmp) that disrupts maize chitinases, preventing fungal cell wall degradation and evasion of plant immune responses triggered by PAMPs. The aim of this work was to analyze maize, B25, and Fv gene expression during bipartite and tripartite interactions at early stages (5, 7, 10, and 14 days post-inoculation). Physiological results showed increased root and shoot growth in maize seedlings under the tripartite interactions compared to Fv alone. B25 was demonstrated to grow endophytically and coexist with Fv in maize roots. Maize extracellular chitinase genes were induced, possibly due to chitin fragments released from the fungal cell wall, while Fv genes were also upregulated in response. Furthermore, the chitinase gene Zm00001eb317090 (bk4) may contribute to cell wall strengthening, as suggested by in silico co-expression analyses. Overall, these results support a coordinated interaction between maize and B25 that contributes to controlling Fv infection.

Abstract: Climate change is placing global agriculture under growing pressure, as plants must withstand extreme environmental conditions such as drought and high salinity, both inducing osmotic and oxidative stress. As part of their survival strategies, plants accumulate protective molecules (osmolytes), including the amino acid proline. For decades, plant biology has largely assumed that high proline accumulation under stress signals strong stress tolerance. However, this review challenges that “proline-centric” perspective. Analyses across a wide range of plant species reveal a more complex picture. Stress-induced proline accumulation is not universal: in some species, proline levels remain relatively unchanged, with other metabolites acting as functional osmolytes, or increase only in response to artificially applied severe stress conditions. Even when proline increases, its absolute concentrations may be too low to contribute significantly to osmotic adjustment. Nevertheless, proline may still be involved in stress tolerance mechanisms through its additional roles, detoxifying reactive oxygen species (ROS), directly stabilising proteins or acting as a stress signalling molecule. Comparative analyses of genetically related taxa with varying degrees of stress tolerance sometimes show negative correlations between proline accumulation and tolerance, with higher proline concentrations measured in the most sensitive genotypes. Overall, the evidence indicates that proline’s role in plant survival is highly context-dependent and strongly influenced by genetic background and must therefore be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Distinguishing whether proline acts as an adaptive defence or merely as a biochemical marker of physiological strain is essential for accurately assessing plant stress tolerance.

Abstract: Abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, alkalinity, temperature extremes, flooding, heavy metals, and emerging pollutants, challenge plant growth and productivity by disturbing water relations, ion balance, redox homeostasis, membrane stability, energy metabolism, and developmental progression. Although substantial progress has been made in identifying stress-responsive hormones, second messengers, kinases, transcription factors, transporters, and metabolic regulators, plant stress adaptation cannot be fully explained by linear signaling cascades or single tolerance genes. A major unresolved question is how early molecular events are reorganized into coordinated physiological and developmental outputs that support survival, recovery, and productivity. In this review, we propose an intermolecular interaction–driven adaptive remodeling framework for plant abiotic stress responses. This framework emphasizes that stress tolerance emerges from dynamic changes in receptor–ligand recognition, protein–protein interactions, calcium decoding, redox-sensitive modification, phosphorylation networks, transcriptional regulation, chromatin-associated control, and metabolite-mediated feedback. We discuss how these interaction networks converge on core signaling hubs, including abscisic acid, reactive oxygen species, Ca²⁺, and kinase/phosphatase systems, and how they remodel stomatal behavior, root architecture, ion and pH homeostasis, redox buffering, metabolism, development, and reproductive resilience. We further highlight how natural variation, multi-omics, genome editing, high-throughput phenotyping, and field validation can translate interaction-centered stress biology into crop resilience. This perspective provides a conceptual bridge between molecular stress perception, network behavior, physiological adaptation, and climate-resilient agriculture.

Abstract: Soil salinization severely limits alfalfa productivity; however, the molecular mechanisms governing cultivar-specific differences in salt tolerance remain largely unclear. In this study, two alfalfa cultivars (Zhongmu No.3 and WL440-HQ) were exposed to 200 mM NaCl stress, followed by integrated transcriptome sequencing, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and functional validation. In total, 3,517 salt-responsive differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 795 shared DEGs and cultivar-specific DEGs (1,336 in Zhongmu No.3 and 1,386 in WL440-HQ). GO and KEGG enrichment revealed conserved stress-response pathways, including flavonoid biosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism, as well as cultivar-specific patterns, with Zhongmu No.3 strongly enriched in stimulus-responsive genes. WGCNA further identified phenotype-related modules and core hub genes, notably MsWRKY22 and MsPSK3. Overexpression of MsPSK3 enhanced salt-alkali tolerance in alfalfa by activating antioxidant systems. Dual-luciferase and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays verified that MsMYC2 directly binds to and activates the MsPSK3 promoter. This study reveals the molecular regulatory network underlying alfalfa responses to salt–alkali stress and provides key candidate genes for breeding salt-tolerant alfalfa varieties.

Abstract:

Corydalis ophiocarpa is a medicinally valuable plant, noted for its abundant alkaloid content. Despite its significance, the mitochondrial genome of this plant has not been characterized, which impedes both the phylogenetic understanding within the Corydalis genus and the comprehension of its full genetic potential. In this research, we have successfully assembled the complete mitogenome of C. ophiocarpa by employing a hybrid method that integrates Oxford Nanopore long reads with Illumina short reads. The assembled genome forms a circular structure of 600,064 bp, with a GC content of 46.49%, and includes 63 genes, comprising 40 unique protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 tRNAs, and three rRNAs. Through assembly and coverage analysis, we identified a 6,383 bp forward repeat associated with a contig having approximately double the depth, indicating a repeat-mediated multipartite structure where the main circle may coexist with two smaller subgenomic forms. We discovered 775 C-to-U RNA editing sites across the 40 PCGs, with 95.4% being non-synonymous and favoring hydrophobic amino acid substitutions, particularly in Complex I subunits. Furthermore, we identified sixteen mt plastid DNA fragments constituting 2.43% of the mitogenome, a proportion more than double that found in the closely related C. saxicola. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that C. ophiocarpa is most closely related to C. saxicola, with C. pauciovulata as another close relative. This study presents the first complete mitogenome of C. ophiocarpa, providing a genomic basis for investigating the relationships between mt genome structure, post-transcriptional regulation, and energy-intensive specialized metabolism in the Corydalis genus.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Rhanterium epapposum Oliv. a medicinally valuable plant traditionally used by indigenous communities to treat skin and gastrointestinal ailments and as a natural insecticide, was investigated for its phytochemical composition and diverse biological activities (antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory), and enzyme inhibitory (α-amylase and lipoxygenase), supported by advanced in silico analyses. Methods: Methanolic and aqueous extracts were analyzed for total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents, with their metabolite profiles characterized via LC-ESI-MS/MS. Both extracts were comprehensively assessed for antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and enzyme inhibitory (α-amylase and 5-lipoxygenase) activities. Furthermore, in silico framework was applied to elucidate the binding efficiency and inhibitory potential of key bioactive compounds against selected pharmacological targets. Results: Many bioactive compounds, mainly chlorogenic and syringic acids were identified in both extracts. The aqueous extract showed higher TTC (69.61 ± 0.212 mg TAE/g extract) and TFC (23.81 ± 0.163 mg QE/g extract), while the methanolic extract was richer in phenolics and exhibited overall stronger scavenging antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ of 14.9 ± 4.7 µg/mL (DPPH) and 35.0 ± 0.67 µg/mL (ABTS), respectively. both extracts exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activity towards ESKAPE and Candida spp. strains. Furthermore, the aqueous extract demonstrated greater, dose-dependent oedema inhibition, peaking at 100 mg/kg, and stronger α-amylase (IC₅₀ = 188 μg/mL) and lipoxygenase (IC₅₀ = 49 μg/mL) inhibition than the methanolic extract (IC₅₀ = 247 μg/mL and 188 μg/mL, respectively), though both were less potent than standard drugs. Molecular docking, MD simulations, and DFT analyses assessed phytocompounds against multiple targets. Chlorogenic acid exhibited multi-target activity, forming hydrogen bonds with Ser49, Thr121, Leu5, Ala7, Asp27 (3FYV), Asp120, Asp86, Asp218 (3Q70), Ser602, Arg415, Asn382, Arg483, Ile461, Ser508 (7Q6S), Gly249, Asp212, Tyr2 (1B2Y), and Gly249, Leu211, Asp212 (1N8Q). MD confirmed complex stability, while DFT (6-31G**) highlighted favorable electronic reactivity and stability. Conclusions: Overall, the aqueous and methanolic extracts showed complementary bioactivities, emphasizing their potential as natural therapeutic agents and viable candidates for developing new pharmacological formulations.

Abstract: Improving provitamin‑A cassava requires a clear understanding of how key agronomic and nutritional traits respond to seasonal variation and how these traits interact within a multivariate structure. The objectives were to evaluate agronomic and nutritional traits across seasons, apply multivariate analyses to uncover trait domains, and investigate inter‑trait relationships to guide breeding strategies. Forty‑two provitamin‑A cassava accessions were evaluated using a split‑plot randomized complete block design, with genotype as the main‑plot factor and harvest time as the subplot factor, replicated across seasons. Eight traits were measured, with emphasis on DM, FYLD, and TC. Multivariate analyses provided deeper insight into trait structure. Principal component analysis and factor analysis identified distinct trait structures: PCA revealed four trait domains, while factor analysis uncovered three latent trait groupings–Root Productivity (ML2), Vegetative and Compositional Diversity (ML3), and Harvest Efficiency (ML1). Traits such as RTWT and HI exhibited near‑zero uniqueness, reinforcing their roles as anchor indicators of productivity and efficiency, while TC displayed exceptionally high uniqueness, confirming its independence from yield domains and its regulation by distinct metabolic pathways. Biplots highlighted genotype dispersion and trait loadings, hierarchical clustering grouped accessions by combined agronomic and nutritional performance, and a chord diagram confirmed a tightly linked yield complex alongside a separate nutritional domain. Variance component estimates revealed contrasting levels of genetic and environmental influence. DM showed moderate genotypic variance and no significant seasonal effect, underscoring its stability and reliability for processing quality. FYLD exhibited low genotypic variance, high residual variance, and a highly significant season effect, confirming strong environmental sensitivity. TC displayed high genotypic variance and a significant seasonal effect, suggesting that carotenoid accumulation is both genetically controlled and environmentally modulated. The integration of mixed‑model variance partitioning with multivariate and network‑based analyses revealed clear differences in trait stability, genetic control, and inter‑trait relationships. These findings identify DM as a robust trait for selection, FYLD as highly environment‑dependent, and TC as a promising target for biofortification with manageable environmental sensitivity. The results provide a comprehensive model for index‑based selection strategies, guiding breeders toward “stacked” ideotypes that combine high yield potential, stable dry matter content, enhanced carotenoid accumulation, and efficient resource allocation to meet industrial, nutritional, and food security needs across cassava‑growing regions.

Abstract: The composition of low-polarity extracts obtained by sequential extraction of the aerial parts of Rhododendron adamsii Rehd. with hexane and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was investigated using GC-MS. The hexane extract was dominated by non-polar components: squalene, n-alkanes (nonacosane, hentriacontane), sesquiterpenes (trans-nerolidol, spathulenol, β-farnesene), and β-sitosterol. The subsequent MTBE extract was enriched in more polar lipids, primarily free triterpenic acids (ursolic and oleanolic acids). A critical finding was the complete absence of diterpene grayanotoxins in all tested extracts, confirming the safety of the non-polar extraction approach. In bioactivity assays, the total hexane extract demonstrated potent inhibitory activity against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro) with IC₅₀ values of 0.0125–0.025 mg/mL, only one order of magnitude higher than the reference inhibitor disulfiram. Fractionation revealed that the activity was distributed among free acids, bound acids, and the unsaponifiable residue, indicating a multicomponent mechanism. Importantly, none of the samples inhibited HIV-1 protease (IC₅₀ > 0.1 mg/mL), demonstrating selectivity for the cysteine protease 3CLpro over the aspartyl protease of HIV-1. These results highlight that sequential non-polar extraction of R. adamsii provides a grayanotoxin-free lipophilic complex with selective anti-SARS-CoV-2 protease activity, paving the way for bioactivity-guided identification of individual inhibitors.

Abstract: This study examined the wood properties, i.e. anatomical characteristics, chemical composition, physical and mechanical properties of seven-year-old plantation-grown B. microphyllum harvested from a research plot at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia. Microscopic analysis revealed diffuse-porous wood with very large solitary vessels, aliform to confluent parenchyma, medium-sized rays, and non-septate fibres. Fibre morphology showed a Runkel ratio below 1.0 and a slenderness ratio of 41.9, indicating favourable fibre flexibility and bonding potential. The absence of tyloses and silica suggests good treatability and machinability. Chemical analysis showed high holocellulose content (79.5–81.9%), α-cellulose (~44%), moderate lignin (22.6–23.9%), and low extractives (0.9–2.1%), indicating a substantial carbohydrate fraction with minimal non-structural compounds. Preliminary phytochemical screening detected flavonoids, tannins/polyphenols, and triterpenes/steroids as dominant constituents, supporting its traditional medicinal relevance. The wood density ranged from 441.4 to 606.8 kg m⁻³ (mean: 524.1 kg m⁻³), classifying the timber as light to moderately heavy. Shrinkage at 15% moisture content was 2.2% (tangential), 1.2% (radial), and 0.6% (longitudinal), giving a tangential-to-radial ratio of 1.6 and indicating moderate dimensional stability. Despite being harvested at only seven years of age, B. microphyllum exhibited mechanical properties comparable to or superior to several commonly planted fast-growing species, such as Eucalyptus nitens, rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), and batai (Paraserianthes falcataria). In particular, the bending and shear strengths were considerably higher than those reported for some older plantation timbers. These findings suggest that B. microphyllum has strong potential as a fast-growing plantation timber with favourable strength characteristics and other promising properties, making it a suitable candidate for structural and value-added wood applications.

Abstract: Medicinal plants grown outside their native forest habitat may produce phytochemical profiles that differ from wild-harvested material, yet the ecological mechanisms underlying these differences remain poorly synthesized across disciplines. This review proposes that the forest understory functions as a multi-signal elicitation system in which canopy light filtering, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and above-ground biotic interactions collectively shape secondary metabolite profiles. AMF-mediated induced systemic resistance and above-ground biotic interactions operate through confirmed jasmonate-mediated pathways. Sunfleck-driven reactive oxygen species signaling is hypothesized but untested, and the red-to-far-red ratio modulated phytochrome B pathway characterized in Arabidopsis remains unconfirmed in shade-tolerant species. Using three saponin-rich herbs (Panax vietnamensis, P. ginseng/P. quinquefolius, and Paris polyphylla) as case studies, we formalize this as a testable chemical terroir hypothesis with three falsifiable predictions. We also translate it into an ecological co-cultivation design principle with three production levels and a two-step operational framework, and identify priority experiments, analytical methods, and implementation challenges needed for validation. These contributions bridge forest ecology and medicinal plant science while identifying critical evidence gaps requiring resolution before field implementation.

Abstract: Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a key food security crop in the developing world. Its production is, however, constrained by low-quality, virus-infected planting material derived from conventional vegetative propagation. In this study, we developed an efficient and reproducible in vitro micropropagation protocol for the orange-fleshed sweet potato cv. ‘Kulfo’. Nodal and apical shoot explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), and gibberellic acid (GA₃) for shoot initiation and multiplication, and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and NAA for rooting. The maximum shoot regeneration was achieved (62% from nodal and 59% from apical explants) on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L⁻¹ BAP and 0.1 mg L⁻¹ GA₃. MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ BAP and 0.1 mg L⁻¹ NAA produced a mean of 7.2 shoots per explant per subculture with vigorous growth during the shoot multiplication stage. Half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L⁻¹ IBA and 0.1 mg L⁻¹ NAA was the best rooting medium. The acclimatized plantlets from the optimal treatment showed a 98.2% survival rate in the greenhouse. The optimized cultivar-specific protocol provides a reliable system for the mass production of high-quality, orange-fleshed sweet potato planting material to support food security, genetic improvement, and germplasm conservation.

Abstract: Protein Phosphatase 5 (PP5) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine phosphatase with a unique tetratricopeptide domain. It has been implicated in a wide range of cellular processes in mammals, but its function in plants is unknown. Here we uncovered that Arabidopsis PP5 is required for immunity mediated by the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptor protein SUMM2. Loss-of-function mutations in PP5 suppress the autoimmune phenotypes caused by the activation of SUMM2 due to the disruption of the MEKK1-MKK1/MKK2-MPK4 kinase cascade. Further biochemical analysis revealed that SUMM2 interacts with Heat Shock Protein 90 and PP5, and SUMM2 level is reduced in pp5 knockout mutant plants, suggesting that PP5 functions as a co-chaperone to regulate the accumulation of SUMM2.

Abstract: Background: Symbiotic fungi play essential roles throughout the entire cycle of orchid plants, including seed germination, seedling development, and maturation. Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo (Orchidaceae) (D. officinale) is a rare and highly valued traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Currently, artificial breeding using tissue culture technology is widely adopted and essential in the Dendrobium industry; however, this approach may impair or disrupt the plant’s ability to establish and maintain symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi; Methods: In this study, the fungal endophyte community (FEC) in the roots of D. officinale cultivated under four different modes was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Correlation analyses were also carried out to examine the relationships between bioactive compounds and the FEC; Results: 1) the FEC in D. officinale roots was dominated by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, with significant differences in abundance, diversity, and community structure among cultivation modes; 2) the FEC under greenhouse cultivation mode differed significantly from those under tree epiphytic cultivation in terms of fungal nutritional types and dominant taxa; 3) six major mycorrhizal fungal taxa were identified in Dendrobium roots, although non-mycorrhizal fungi accounted for approximately 97% of the community; and 4) the main bioactive compounds were positively correlated with variations in the FEC; Conclusions: this study provides a foundation for understating the growth of D. officinale under different cultivation modes and highlights the relationship between bioactive compound accumulation and mycorrhizal fungal communities.

Abstract: IoT/LoRa devices emit radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) ensuring long-range, low-power communication, and their use in precision agriculture continuously expands. Thus the interest in the impact of low intensity but long-term EMF exposure on plants has increased. In this study, maize plants were exposed to 868 MHz EMF for the first 28 days of their development with soil-buried antennas. Plants were divided into three groups: Control, Sham-exposed, and EMF-exposed. Biological effects were followed on morphological, physiological and biochemical levels every week. The plant height values were fitted to Gompertz function to model the growth. The results showed slightly faster early development of EMF-exposed plants in about 21 days. The relative dry leaf biomas from EMF-plants was a bit higher than Control and Sham until 21st day. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis (JIP-test) indicated photosynthetic stability. Antioxidant enzymes activity, antioxidant capacity, content of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide and reducing sugars were measured, and principal component analysis was done for all parameters. In general, the developmental stage accounted much more than EMF exposure for most of the observed data variation. The results suggest that under the tested conditions, IoT/LoRa-emitted EMF did not provoke adverse effects in maize and acted as a modest modulator of physiological functions.