番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)在生长发育过程中常受到低温和干旱等多种非生物胁迫的影响。WRKY转录因子参与调控植物多种非生物胁迫响应过程, 而SlWRKY45在番茄非生物胁迫中的功能尚不清楚。基因表达分析发现, 低温、干旱和ABA处理均可显著诱导SlWRKY45的表达; 过表达SlWRKY45可提高番茄对干旱和低温的耐受性; 在干旱和低温处理下, 过表达株系的光合指标、抗氧化酶活性和脯氨酸(Pro)含量显著高于野生型(WT), 活性氧(ROS)和丙二醛(MDA)含量显著低于WT。转录组数据分析显示, SlWRKY45主要通过调控抗氧化酶活性和胁迫响应途径介导番茄对低温胁迫的响应。双荧光素酶报告基因检测发现, SlWRKY45可直接激活SlPOD1的表达。酵母双杂交(Y2H)和双分子荧光互补(BiFC)试验结果表明, SlWRKY45与SlWRKY46存在相互作用。综上表明, SlWRKY45可能通过直接调控抗氧化酶途径增强转基因番茄的抗逆性, 为番茄的遗传改良提供了重要的候选基因资源。

干旱是全球农林生产面临的主要非生物胁迫之一。植物通过调控共生微生物群落，形成了多层次的抗旱适应机制，其协同作用机制主要可概括为以下5个方面：(1)通过分泌胞外多糖(EPS)在植物表面形成保护性生物膜，增强保水性和土壤结构稳定性；(2)合成脯氨酸等渗透调节物质维持细胞渗透稳态；(3)产生抗氧化物质清除活性氧，缓解过氧化损伤；(4)分泌植物激素(如生长素)及1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸脱氨酶(ACCD)，调控内源激素代谢平衡；(5)释放挥发性有机化合物、激素及酶等信号分子，激活植物对干旱的适应能力。未来研究需聚焦于宿主特异性抗旱微生物菌群，解析叶际-根际微生物组的协同调控网络，最终通过微生物组工程评价其在农业中的应用效果。

ABF转录因子是能够特异识别并结合ABA响应元件(ABRE)的碱性亮氨酸拉链蛋白的统称, 参与ABA信号转导。通过对甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus) BnaABF2基因编码蛋白进行分析, 亚细胞定位结果显示, BnaABF2蛋白定位于细胞核; 酵母系统转录活性分析表明, BnaABF2无转录激活活性; qRT-PCR检测发现, BnaABF2在叶中的表达量最高。此外, 还发现ABA处理、模拟干旱和盐胁迫能够诱导BnaABF2的表达; BiFC结果显示, BnaMPK1/2/6/7/9/12/13能与BnaABF2相互作用。Dual-LUC结果表明, BnaMPK7可能通过磷酸化增强BnaABF2对下游靶基因的转录调控。该研究初步探索了转录因子BnaABF2的基本特性与互作蛋白, 对理解其功能与机制具有一定的理论价值。

CPSF家族蛋白是植物体内mRNA前体中多聚腺苷酸化信号识别、剪切和添加poly(A)的重要因子, 对开花时间调控、环境响应和种子发育等具有重要作用。目前, 甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus) CPSF家族基因的功能尚不明确。为探究甘蓝型油菜CPSF家族基因的功能和表达模式, 从甘蓝型油菜品种中双11号中克隆得到BnaA02.CPSF6, 并对其进行生物信息学、编码蛋白质亚细胞定位、表达模式和基因功能分析。结果表明, BnaA02.CPSF6基因编码区全长1 938 bp, 编码646个氨基酸残基, 无内含子结构, 其在甘蓝型油菜中有6个同源基因; BnaA02.CPSF6启动子区存在多个参与光反应的顺式作用元件和MYB结合位点; BnaA02.CPSF6在根、茎、叶、花和不同发育时期种子中均有表达, 特别是在发育15-35天的种子中显著高表达, 其编码的蛋白定位于细胞核; BnaA02.CPSF6受盐和干旱胁迫诱导上调表达; 在ABA、IAA、GA₃、SA和MeJA激素处理下, BnaA02.CPSF6基因表达先受到抑制再逐渐恢复至正常水平; 在正常条件下, 在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)中过表达BnaA02.CPSF6会出现提前抽薹开花的表型, 且莲座叶数量显著减少。综上所述, BnaA02.CPSF6参与非生物胁迫响应并受植物激素调控, 可能在开花调控中起促进作用。

When and how disjunct distributions of biological taxa arose has long attracted interest in biogeography, yet the East Asian–Tethyan disjunction is understudied. Cupressus (Cupressaceae) shows this disjunction, with 10 species in East Asia and three in the Mediterranean region. Here we used target-capture sequencing and obtained 1991 single-copy nuclear genes, plus complete plastomes, to infer the evolutionary history of Cupressus. Our phylogenomic reconstruction resolved four well supported clades in Cupressus, but revealed significant phylogenetic conflicts, with inter-lineage gene flow, incomplete lineage sorting and gene tree estimation error all making important contributions. The Chengiana clade most likely originated by hybridization between the ancestors of the Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains and subtropical Asia clades, whereas orogenic and climatic changes may have facilitated gene flow within the Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains clade. Molecular dating suggested that the most recent common ancestor of Cupressus appeared in East Asia around the middle Eocene period and then became continuously distributed across Eurasia. The East Asian–Tethyan disjunction arose when the Mediterranean and Himalayan–Hengduan Mountains clades diverged, likely to have been driven by Eocene/Oligocene declines in global temperature, then reinforced by the ecogeographic barrier created by the uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Niche shifts in the common ancestor of the Mediterranean clade, and signatures of selection in genes for drought and salt tolerance, probably indicate adaptation of this clade to local conditions. Overall, our study suggested that in-depth phylogenomic analyses are powerful tools in deciphering the complex evolutionary history of the origin of East Asian–Tethyan disjunction of organisms, especially gymnosperms.

植物根系在生长发育过程中响应各种非生物胁迫, 包括干旱、重金属、盐、冷、热以及生理性缺素等, 其中土壤结构特别是土壤紧实度会影响根系的生长与形态, 进而影响作物产量。高尔基体通过囊泡分泌参与根系的生长以及响应非生物胁迫。然而, 高尔基体如何参与根系响应土壤紧实度的机制还不清楚。前期研究发现拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana) AtFTCD-L定位在高尔基体反面(trans Golgi network, TGN)上, 参与囊泡的分选和/或分泌, 调节根冠外周细胞中的黏液成分。在前期研究的基础上, 模拟土壤高紧实度生长条件, 观察稳定表达PINs-GFP的纯合体拟南芥植株表型, 通过观察生长素相关荧光信号, 发现AtFTCD-L突变体根尖以及根尖细胞在纵向上短于野生型等材料, 而在横向上宽于野生型等材料, 并且细胞形态明显异常。通过对PINs相关材料进行荧光信号收集, 发现突变体植株中PIN7低表达或不表达。综上表明, AtFTCD-L在拟南芥植株根系中通过调节PIN7的分布或表达来响应土壤紧实度。研究结果为揭示植物根系响应土壤紧实度胁迫的适应机制提供了理论指导。

14-3-3蛋白广泛参与植物生长发育、代谢和非生物逆境信号转导过程。该研究克隆了小麦(Triticum aestivum) 14-3-3蛋白TaGRF3-D基因, TaGRF3-D基因编码261个氨基酸残基, 在单子叶植物中高度保守, 其与乌拉尔图小麦(T. urartu)的TuGF14d和大麦(Hordeum vulgare)的HvGF14a氨基酸序列完全相同; TaGRF3-D启动子区含有脱落酸等激素响应元件和多个非生物胁迫响应元件。亚细胞定位结果显示, TaGRF3-D蛋白主要定位于细胞膜与细胞核。对过表达TaGRF3-D基因的拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)转基因株系ABA敏感性及干旱胁迫耐受性分析发现, TaGRF3-D过表达拟南芥在PEG和ABA处理下根长显著大于野生型, 干旱胁迫后存活率显著高于野生型。进一步利用酵母双杂交(yeast two-hybrid, Y2H)实验对TaGRF3-D蛋白与小麦AREBs/ABFs (ABA-responsive element binding proteins/ABA-responsive element binding factors)蛋白进行互作分析, 结果表明TaGRF3-D蛋白与TaABF3-B、TaABF4-A、TaABF15-D、TaABF16-B、TaABF17-D和 TaABF18-B存在相互作用; 而与TaABF1-D、TaABF2-A和TabABF19-A不互作。综上表明, TaABF3-D可能通过与TaABFs蛋白互作响应ABA信号, 从而提高转基因植株对干旱胁迫的耐受性。研究结果为小麦TaGRF3-D基因逆境胁迫响应功能研究奠定了基础。

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays critical roles in modulating plant growth and stress response and its homeostasis is fine tuned using multiple peroxidases. H₂O₂, a major kind of ROS, is removed rapidly and directly using three catalases, CAT1, CAT2, and CAT3, in Arabidopsis. Although the activity regulations of catalases have been well studied, their degradation pathway is less clear. Here, we report that CAT2 and CAT3 protein abundance was partially controlled using the 26S proteasome. To further identify candidate proteins that modulate the stability of CAT2, we performed yeast-two-hybrid screening and recovered several clones encoding a protein with RING and vWA domains, CIRP1 (CAT2 Interacting RING Protein 1). Drought and oxidative stress downregulated CIRP1 transcripts. CIRP1 harbored E3 ubiquitination activity and accelerated the degradation of CAT2 and CAT3 by direct interaction and ubiquitination. The cirp1 mutants exhibited stronger drought and oxidative stress tolerance, which was opposite to the cat2 and cat3 mutants. Genetic analysis revealed that CIRP1 acts upstream of CAT2 and CAT3 to negatively regulate drought and oxidative stress tolerance. The increased drought and oxidative stress tolerance of the cirp1 mutants was due to enhanced catalase (CAT) activities and alleviated ROS levels. Our data revealed that the CIRP1–CAT2/CAT3 module plays a vital role in alleviating ROS levels and balancing growth and stress responses in Arabidopsis.

NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) transcription factors (TFs) are a family of plant-specific TFs that play crucial roles in various aspects of plant development and stress responses. Here, we provide an in-depth review of the structural characteristics, regulatory mechanisms, and functional roles of NACs in different plant species. One of the key features of NACs is their ability to regulate gene expression through a variety of mechanisms, including binding to DNA sequences in the promoter regions of target genes, interacting with other TFs, and modulating chromatin structure. We discuss these mechanisms in detail, providing insights into the complex regulatory networks that govern the activity of NACs. We explore the diverse functions of these TFs in plant growth and development processes, including embryogenesis, seed development, root and shoot development, floral development and fruit ripening, secondary cell wall formation, and senescence. We also discuss the diverse regulatory roles of NACs in response to various stresses, including drought, flooding, heat, cold, salinity, nutrient deficit, and diseases. Lastly, we emphasize the crosstalk role of NACs between developmental processes and stress responses. This integrated perspective highlights how NACs orchestrate plant growth and resilience. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the pivotal roles of NACs in plant development and stress responses, emphasizing their potential for engineering stress-resistant crops and enhancing agricultural productivity.

The calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) Ca²⁺ sensors play crucial roles in the plant's response to drought stress. However, there have been few reports on the synergistic regulation of drought stress by CBL-CIPK and abscisic acid (ABA) core signaling components. In this study, we discovered that ZmCIPK33 positively regulates drought resistance in maize. ZmCIPK33 physically interacts with and is enhanced by phosphorylation from ZmSnRK2.10. Drought stress can activate ZmCIPK33, which is partially dependent on ZmSnRK2.10. ZmCIPK33 in combination with ZmSnRK2.10 can activate the slow anion channel ZmSLAC1 in Xenopus laevis oocytes independently of CBLs, whereas ZmCIPK33 or ZmSnRK2.10 alone is unable to do so. Furthermore, ZmCIPK33 phosphorylates ZmPP2C11 at Ser60, which leads to a reduction in the interaction between ZmPP2C11 and ZmEAR1 (the ortholog of Arabidopsis Enhancer of ABA co-Receptor 1) and weakens the phosphatase activity of ZmPP2C11, consequently, enhancing the activity of ZmSnRK2.10 in an in vitro assay and in the in-gel assay of the zmcipk33 mutant. Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the reciprocal enhancement of Ca²⁺ and ABA signaling under drought stress in maize.

Plants have co-evolved with a wide range of microbial communities over hundreds of millions of years, this has drastically influenced their adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress. The rapid development of multi-omics approaches has greatly improved our understanding of the diversity, composition, and functions of plant microbiomes, but how global climate change affects the assembly of plant microbiomes and their roles in regulating host plant adaptation to changing environmental conditions is not fully known. In this review, we summarize recent advancements in the community assembly of plant microbiomes, and their responses to climate change factors such as elevated CO₂ levels, warming, and drought. We further delineate the research trends and hotspots in plant–microbiome interactions in the context of climate change, and summarize the key mechanisms by which plant microbiomes influence plant adaptation to the changing climate. We propose that future research is urgently needed to unravel the impact of key plant genes and signal molecules modulated by climate change on microbial communities, to elucidate the evolutionary response of plant–microbe interactions at the community level, and to engineer synthetic microbial communities to mitigate the effects of climate change on plant fitness.

Maize (Zea mays L.) growth and yield are severely limited by drought stress worldwide. Stomata play crucial roles in transpiration and gas exchange and are thus essential for improving plant water-use efficiency (WUE) to help plants deal with the threat of drought. In this study, we characterized the maize dsd1 (decreased stomatal density 1) mutant, which showed defects in stomatal development, including guard mother cell differentiation, subsidiary cell formation and guard cell maturation. DSD1 encodes the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION b (ZmICEb) and is a homolog of ICE1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). DSD1/ZmICEb is expressed in stomatal file cells throughout stomatal development and plays a conserved role in stomatal development across maize and Arabidopsis. Mutations in DSD1/ZmICEb dramatically improved drought tolerance and WUE in maize and reduced yield losses under drought conditions. Therefore, DSD1/ZmICEb represents a promising candidate target gene for the genetic improvement of drought tolerance in maize by manipulating stomatal density.

长期以来，权衡被认为是植物种响应环境胁迫与干扰的重要生态策略。然而，尚不清楚沙生环境中克隆植物响应风沙干扰不同结构(或功能)间是否存在潜在的权衡关系。为此，本研究以中国西北干旱沙区(乌兰布和沙漠)两种优势根茎型禾草[沙鞭(Psammochloa villosa)和芦苇(Phragmites australis)]为研究对象，调查其生长格局(生殖生长与营养生长)、繁殖策略(有性繁殖与无性繁殖)与芽库组成(分蘖芽与根茎芽，分别表征垂直和水平生长潜力)情况。结果表明，两种根茎型克隆植物在其对不同沙埋深度的适应策略中表现出显著的权衡关系。具体而言，随沙埋深度增加，克隆植物倾向于减少其生殖生长、有性繁殖和水平生长潜力，表现为生殖分株数量及其比例、穗数量、生物量及其比例以及根茎芽数量、生物量及其比例显著降低；相反，克隆植物增加其营养生长、营养繁殖和垂直生长潜力，表现为营养生长分株数量及其比例、地下芽数量、生物量及其比例以及分蘖芽数量、生物量及其比例显著增加。上述结果强调了权衡策略在根茎型克隆植物适应干旱胁迫与风沙干扰并存的沙生环境中的重要性。这些权衡策略确保了先锋沙生植物的种群持久性及其稳定性，在干旱沙区流沙固定与植被恢复中应予以足够重视。

Members of the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC) proteins are reportedly involved in a variety of biotic and abiotic responses and stomatal movement. However, it is unknown if and how a single member could regulate multiple responses. Here we characterized three closely related CNGC genes in rice, OsCNGC14, OsCNGC15 and OsCNGC16, to determine whether they function in multiple abiotic stresses. The loss-of-function mutants of each of these three genes had reduced calcium ion (Ca²⁺) influx and slower stomatal closure in response to heat, chilling, drought and the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA). These mutants also had reduced tolerance to heat, chilling and drought compared with the wild-type. Conversely, overexpression of OsCNGC16 led to a more rapid stomatal closure response to stresses and enhanced tolerance to heat, chilling and drought. The tight association of stomatal closure and stress tolerance strongly suggests that tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses conferred by these OsCNGC genes results at least partially from their regulation of stomatal movement. In addition, physical interactions were observed among the three OsCNGC proteins but not with a distantly related CNGC, suggesting the formation of hetero-oligomers among themselves. This study unveils the crucial role of OsCNGC14, 15 and 16 proteins in stomatal response and tolerance to multiple stresses, suggesting a mechanism of tolerance to multiple stresses that involves calcium influx and stomatal movement regulation.

In higher plants, stomatal movements represent a critical physiological process that matains cellular water homestasis while enabling photosynthetic gas exchange. Open stomata 1 (OST1), a key protein kinase in the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling cascade, has been established as a central regulator of stomatal dynamics. This study reveals that two highly conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAP4K1) and MAP4K2 are positive regulators in ABA promoted stomatal closure, and ABA-activated OST1 potentiates MAP4K1/2 through phosphorylation at conserved serine and threonine residues (S166, T170, and S479/S488). The activated MAP4K1, in turn, phosphorylates two critical downstream targets: plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase 2 (AHA2) at residues T858, T881, and Y946, and slow anion channel-associated 1 (SLAC1) at T114 and S116. Functional analysis demonstrates that the phosphomimetic (3D: S166D/T170D/S479D) MAP4K1, but not non-phosphorylatable (3A: S166A/T170A/S479A) MAP4K1, could fully restore drought tolerance and reduced water loss in detached leaves of map4k1map4k2 double mutant. Our findings delineate a previously unrecognized signaling module comprising OST1–MAP4K1/2–AHA2/SLAC1, which crucially modulates ABA-mediated stomatal regulation. This work advances our mechanistic understanding of phosphorylation cascades governing plant water relations and stress responses.

植物根系相关真菌群落在促进植物生长、养分吸收、抗病性以及环境胁迫适应方面具有重要作用。然而，这些群落的构建机制仍未得到充分研究。本研究利用高通量测序、共现网络分析和零模型，对玉叶金花(Mussaenda pubescens)的根系相关真菌群落的多样性、组成、互作模式及构建机制进行了研究。结果显示，真菌群落及其关键功能类群(包括腐生菌、共生菌和植物病原菌)的多样性和构建表现出显著的区域性和生态位差异。值得注意的是，植物病原菌的真菌多样性随海拔升高而降低，而腐生菌、共生菌和真菌群落的多样性受海拔影响较小。随机过程(如扩散限制)在真菌群落构建中起主导作用。此外，土壤理化性质、气候条件和空间变量也是影响真菌群落结构的关键驱动因素。本研究深化了对根系相关真菌群落构建机制的理解，并阐释了维持真菌群落多样性的重要影响因素。

Avena barbata, a wild oat species within the genus Avena, is a widely used model for studying plant ecological adaptation due to its strong environmental adaptability and disease resistance, serving as a valuable genetic resource for oat improvement. Here, we phased the high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of A. barbata (6.88 Gb, contig N50 = 53.74 Mb) into A (3.57 Gb with 47,687 genes) and B (3.31 Gb with 46,029 genes) subgenomes. Comparative genomics and phylogenomic analyses clarified the evolutionary relationships and trajectories of A, B, C and D subgenomes in Avena. We inferred that the A subgenome donor of A. barbata was Avena hirtula, while the B subgenome donor was probably an extinct diploid species closely related to Avena wiestii. Genome evolution analysis revealed the dynamic transposable element (TE) content and subgenome divergence, as well as extensive structure variations across A, B, C, and D subgenomes in Avena. Population genetic analysis of 211 A. barbata accessions from distinct ecotypes identified several candidate genes related to environmental adaptability and drought resistance. Our study provides a comprehensive genetic resource for exploring the genetic basis underlying the strong environmental adaptability of A. barbata and the molecular identification of important agronomic traits for oat breeding.

The black wolfberry (Lycium ruthenicum; 2n = 2x = 24) is an important medicinal plant with ecological and economic value. Its fruits have numerous beneficial pharmacological activities, especially those of anthocyanins, polysaccharides, and alkaloids, and have high nutritional value. However, the lack of available genomic resources for this species has hindered research on its medicinal and evolutionary mechanisms. In this study, we developed the telomere-to-telomere (T2T) nearly gapless genome of L. ruthenicum (2.26 Gb) by integrating PacBio HiFi, Nanopore Ultra-Long, and Hi-C technologies. The assembled genome comprised 12 chromosomes with 37,149 protein-coding genes functionally annotated. Approximately 80% of the repetitive sequences were identified, of which long terminal repeats (LTRs) were the most abundant, accounting for 73.01%. The abundance of LTRs might be the main reason for the larger genome of this species compared to that of other Lycium species. The species-specific genes of L. ruthenicum were related to defense mechanisms, salt tolerance, drought resistance, and oxidative stress, further demonstrating their superior adaptability to arid environments. Based on the assembled genome and fruit transcriptome data, we further constructed an anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway and identified 19 candidate structural genes and seven transcription factors that regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in the fruit developmental stage of L. ruthenicum, most of which were highly expressed at a later stage in fruit development. Furthermore, 154 potential disease resistance-related nucleotide-binding genes have been identified in the L. ruthenicum genome. The whole-genome and proximal, dispersed, and tandem duplication genes in the L. ruthenicum genome enriched the number of genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis and resistance-related pathways. These results provide an important genetic basis for understanding genome evolution and biosynthesis of pharmacologically active components in the Lycium genus.

Drought severely impedes plant growth and production as a primary abiotic stress. GIGANTEA (GI) regulates flowering and responds to various stresses in model plants; however, its function remains poorly understood in non-model plants. In this study, a Citrus limon GI homologous (CiGI) was identified and two alternative splicing transcripts (CiGIα and CiGIβ) were found. CiGIα overexpressing tobacco exhibited early flowering and drought sensitivity, whereas the phenotype of CiGIβ-overexpressing plants was similar to that of wild-type (WT) plants. Overexpression of CiGIα in citrus increased drought sensitivity and upregulated citrus FLOWERING LOCUS T (CiFT) expression, and downregulation of CiGI enhanced drought tolerance. Further studies revealed that CiGIα, CiGIβ, and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (CiLHY) form a complex that binds to the Nuclear Factor YA1 (CiNF-YA1) promoter and activates its expression. Subsequently, CiNF-YA1 activates the expression of NADP-DEPENDENT MALIC ENZYME 2 (CiNADP-ME2) by binding its promoter, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, which enhances plant drought sensitivity. Exogenous ROS treatment induced citrus flowering and reduced drought tolerance. Furthermore, the CiGI–CiLHY complex also activates CiFT and may participate in the regulation of citrus flowering. These results reveal a novel mechanism by which CiGI regulates citrus flowering and drought tolerance.

在退化生态系统恢复过程中，不同灌木物种沿水分梯度呈现明显的生态位分化，然而其驱动机制尚不清楚。本研究通过干旱梯度实验(对照、中度干旱和重度干旱)，以在恢复初期占优势的黄柳(Salix gordejevii)和在恢复后期占优势的小叶锦鸡儿(Caragana microphylla)为研究对象，探究沿生态恢复序列灌木物种发生更替的生理机制。研究发现，在干旱胁迫下，黄柳的生存状态指数(LSI)显著低于小叶锦鸡儿。水力效率(包括叶片水力导度K_leaf、木质部水力导度K_s和叶片比导率K₁)是影响黄柳和小叶锦鸡儿LSI的关键因子。具体而言，黄柳较低的栓塞抗性(P₅₀ = 1.3 MPa)使其在重度干旱下更易发生木质部栓塞，导致水力效率下降；而小叶锦鸡儿则因较高的栓塞抗性(P₅₀ = 2.3 MPa)而能在各干旱梯度下维持稳定的水力传导。这种由木质部栓塞抗性驱动的水力效率差异，是生态恢复过程中灌木物种发生更替的关键原因。上述结果加深了水分限制的生态系统恢复过程中灌木演替生理机制的认识。

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a well-established gaseous signaling molecule, can effectively enhance plant tolerance to various environmental stresses. However, there is still a lack of suitable methods to release H₂S in agricultural production, and the mechanism by which H₂S improves stress resistance remains poorly understood. Here, we show the novel role of sodium butyrate (NaB) in producing H₂S consistently in rice rhizosphere soil and the epigenetic mechanism of H₂S to enhance rice drought tolerance. We found that NaB increased sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) abundance in the rhizosphere soil, resulting in higher expression of sulfite reductase (SiR), and consequently increased H₂S production. Mechanistic investigation showed that H₂S enhanced the level of H4K5ac in promoter regions of drought-tolerant genes, facilitating their expression by repressing the histone deacetylase (HDAC) gene OsHDA710. Loss-of-function mutants of OsHDA710 exhibited enhanced drought tolerance compared to wild-type (WT) plants, while OsHDA710 overexpression plants showed drought hypersensitivity. Moreover, we demonstrated that OsHDA710 could bind directly to promoters of drought-tolerance genes by recognizing the TGACC motif. Our findings illustrate an efficient way to produce H₂S and a novel mechanism for H₂S in improving the drought resistance of plants.

Drought stress represents a critical challenge to global agriculture, severely compromising plant growth and crop productivity through its disruption of intracellular signaling networks, with particular emphasis on protein kinase-mediated pathways and transcriptional regulation. In this study, we identified and characterized ZmDNL1 as a novel transcriptional regulator that serves as a negative modulator of drought tolerance in maize. Through comprehensive biochemical analyses, we demonstrated that ZmDNL1 physically interacts with ZmYAB15, a known negative regulator of drought tolerance, and potentiates its transcriptional regulatory activity. Most significantly, our investigation revealed that ZmSnRK2.10-mediated phosphorylation of three specific N-terminal residues in ZmDNL1 effectively attenuates ZmYAB15's transcriptional activity while maintaining the structural integrity of the ZmDNL1-ZmYAB15 protein complex, ultimately enhancing drought tolerance. These findings elucidate a previously unrecognized regulatory mechanism in which ZmSnRK2.10 orchestrates drought tolerance through phosphorylation-dependent fine tuning of the ZmDNL1–ZmYAB15 transcriptional regulatory module. Beyond advancing our fundamental understanding of drought response mechanisms in maize, this study provides valuable molecular targets for precision breeding strategies aimed at developing drought-resilient crop varieties.

多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)是干旱荒漠区重要的防风固沙灌木，其长期与风沙作用过程形成了柽柳灌丛沙堆。本研究采用空间序列代替时间序列的方法，以不同发育阶段沙堆上的多枝柽柳为研究对象，探讨了多枝柽柳叶绿素荧光和非结构碳水化合物(NSC)对沙堆堆积的响应及适应机制。结果表明：(1)随着沙堆的发育，多枝柽柳光合色素含量显著升高，实际光能利用效率Y_(II)降低。同时，多枝柽柳质醌(PQ)库的还原状态增加，电子传递速率(ETR)加快，调节性能量耗散的量子产量显著增加，表明多枝柽柳通过上调非辐射能量耗散来散失过多光能。(2)随着沙堆的发育，光合有效辐射(PAR)和叶片温度(T_L)逐渐上升，而土壤含水量降低，导致多枝柽柳的胁迫程度增加，叶片NSC含量下降。干旱胁迫的加剧可能使多枝柽柳面临“碳饥饿”的风险，从而导致其光合作用及生物量积累逐渐下降，最终导致死亡。(3)多枝柽柳各项指标之间的相关性较为显著，且在增长和稳定阶段沙堆多枝柽柳的相互关联程度最高，协同效应显著增强。综合分析表明，沙堆上较高的土壤含水量有利于缓解水分胁迫，提高多枝柽柳的光能利用效率，从而促进其光合碳同化过程。

中国中部南北过渡带是气候和生态敏感地区，也是油松 (Pinus tabuliformis) 分布的南缘，但该区域油松对气候变化的响应仍缺乏系统研究。本研究基于伏牛山地区东西梯度上14个样点的树轮数据，构建了不同区域的树轮年表。分析发现，在区域尺度上，5月温度和降水是油松生长的主要限制因素，尤以东部的石人山–木札岭(YM)最为明显。整体而言，伏牛山南部温度和北部降水是树木生长的显著限制因子，但龙池墁(LCM)区域的树木更受南部温度限制，对北部降水的依赖性较弱。此外，5月温度的限制作用自东向西逐渐减弱，而5月降水的影响在东部石人山–木札岭(YM)和西部白云山-抱犊寨(BB)较高，中部龙池墁(LCM)相对较低，且北部降水对生长的促进作用强于南部。4至6月，自校准帕尔默干旱严重度指数(scPDSI)与树木生长呈显著正相关，其中5月的相关性最高。在时间尺度上，20世纪70至80年代油松呈加速生长趋势，而90年代后明显减缓，表明全球变暖背景下其生长状况出现退化，这一结果支持生态边际效应理论。然而，尽管油松生长整体呈下降趋势，在极端干旱事件后，其生长仍表现出较强的恢复力和韧性，并在3年内基本恢复至干扰前水平。这一现象与树木生长的长期下降趋势存在矛盾，亟需进一步研究以揭示其内在机制。

The karst forest in southwestern China is characterized by thin soil layers, numerous fissures and holes, resulting in low soil water availability and poor water retention, making it challenging for plant growth and survival. While the relationship between plant functional traits and tree growth performance has been extensively studied, the links between tree seasonal growth and drought-tolerant traits in tree species with different leaf habit remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the associations between four-year averaged rainy season stem diameter growth rate and 17 branch and leaf traits across evergreen and deciduous species in a tropical karst forest in southwest China. The cross-species variations in tree growth rates were related to plant hydraulic traits (e.g., vessel lumen diameter, xylem vessel density, stomatal density, and stomatal size) and leaf anatomical traits (e.g., total leaf thickness, lower/upper epidermis thickness, and spongy thickness). The growth of evergreen trees exhibited lower hydraulic efficiency but greater drought tolerance than deciduous tree, which enabled them to maintain higher persistence under low soil water availability and consequently a relatively longer growing season. In contrast, deciduous species showed no correlation between their functional traits and growth rate. The distinct water use strategies of evergreen and deciduous trees may offer a potential explanation for their co-existence in the tropical karst forests.