The interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi and soil bacteria plays a crucial role in plant phosphorus acquisition. This review systematically elucidated the impact of AM fungi-bacteria interactions on soil phosphorus cycling and their regulatory mechanisms. AM fungal hyphal exudates, including sugars, carboxylates, and amino acids, provide carbon sources for bacteria and specifically recruit phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, while the hyphae serve as "mobile bridges" to facilitate bacterial migration. Besides, AM fungi can modulate the structure and function of the hyphosphere microbiome, enriching functional bacteria carrying the phoD gene, enhancing phosphatase activity, and promoting organic phosphorus mineralization. Based on these mechanisms, strategies such as regulating soil C:P ratio and supplementing hyphal exudate components can regulate AM fungi-bacteria interactions and improve soil phosphorus utilization efficiency.
Dark septate endophytes(DSEs) constitute an important component of root-associated mycobiome and typically develop microsclerotia-like structures in cortical cells. Generally, DSEs perform functions similar to those of mycorrhizal fungi in promoting plant growth, nutrient uptake and stress tolerance. Under certain extreme environments, the abundance of DSEs often exceeds that of mycorrhizal fungi. In this review article, we first summarized the species diversity, basic biological traits and eco-physiological functions played by DSEs, an important component of root-associated mycobiome. We then mainly focused on the advances concerning mechanisms underlying plant-DSEs mutualism as well as genomic signatures and evolutionary adaptation of DSEs. Together, our understanding of more adaptive potentials of DSEs and their extended effects on improving plant abiotic tolerance emerged. Promisingly, the development of robust DSE inoculants used for ecological restoration of soils and improvement of plant productivity in agro-forestry systems under stressful environment was briefly discussed.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) are one of the crucial microbial communities in the soil ecosystem. Researches on AMF reproductive techniques and their applications in practice have profound significance for elevating agricultural production efficiency and sustainability. This paper reviewed the latest research advancements in the symbiotic mechanism of AMF and its application in propagation systems and microbial inoculants. It explored the molecular mechanism through which AMF establish symbiotic relationships with plant roots; analyzed the optimization strategies for AMF propagation systems, encompassing key factors such as aseptic culture techniques, substrate selection, and environmental control; discussed the application potential of AMF inoculants in actual production, including enhancing crop yields, strengthening plant stress resistance, and improving soil structure. It highlighted the practical issues existing in the current application domains of AMF and the future research directions. The purpose was to offer a reference for further comprehension of the significance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and lay the foundation for the development of novel microbial inoculants and their application in agricultural ecosystems in the future.
In the context of global climate change, the phenomenon of plant invasion has been increasingly intensified. Invasive plants affect biodiversity by reducing local species, altering soil microbial community structure and composition, and impacting ecosystem structure and function, which significantly modifies ecological processes such as soil nitrogen cycling. Soil nitrogen cycling is a crucial component of ecosystem nutrient cycling, influencing nitrogen supply and distribution within ecosystems. Both global climate change and plant invasion are altering the efficiency and pathways of soil nitrogen cycling. Mycorrhizae, as an important symbiotic association between fungi and plant roots, play a vital role in the soil nitrogen cycle. However, there is still a lack of systematic research and in-depth understanding of the impact of mycorrhizal interactions with invasive plants on soil nitrogen cycling. This review summarized recent progress in research on the interaction between invasive plants and mycorrhizal fungi in the context of soil nitrogen cycling, focusing on mechanisms such as the regulation of soil microbial communities, the effects on soil nitrification, denitrification, and related soil enzyme activities, and alterations in soil physicochemical properties that influence soil nitrogen cycling. Additionally, the paper proposed future research directions. This study provided new perspectives for understanding the role of invasive plants in global soil nitrogen cycling and offered theoretical support for invasive plant management and nitrogen cycling response evaluation as affected by plant invasions.
Walnut(Juglans) is an important economic forest tree species in the world, whose growth and development are associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF). The rhizosphere of walnuts is rich in AMF populations, with multiple species in ten genera. Planting patterns(e.g., intercropping) and soil nutrients have an impact on AMF diversity in the walnut rhizosphere. However, deep-rooted walnut trees serve as a reservoir for AMF propagules, allowing for efficient nutrient(e.g., phosphorus and carbon) redistribution among surrounding plants through the common mycorrhizal network. This review elucidated the mechanisms by which AMF enhanced walnut growth and survival, promoted nutrient(particularly phosphorus) uptake, and increased drought tolerance. It also explored the potential of AMF in enhancing and transferring juglone, a key secondary metabolite in walnuts. The paper concluded with a perspective on the study of walnut mycorrhizae.
Under the background of global warming, plant leaves are facing increasingly severe heat stress, which widely affects their growth, development, and productivity. Leaf temperature directly affects important physiological processes of plants such as photosynthesis, transpiration, and respiration. Therefore, clarifying high-temperature tolerance mechanism of plant leaves is of great significance. In this paper, the methods for determining leaf heat tolerance parameters were used, including the key parameters such as initial fluorescence (F0) and maximum quantum yield(Fv/Fm), as well as indicators reflecting the leaf's heat tolerance ability, such as the temperature at which the minimum fluorescence of photosystem Ⅱ(PSⅡ) began to rise rapidly(Tcrit) and the temperature at which the maximum quantum yield(Fv/Fm) of photosystem Ⅱ(PSⅡ) decreased to half(T50) were determined respectively. By analyzing the previous results on the heat tolerance of leaves among different species, it was found that heat-tolerant species had higher Tcrit and lower leaf heat sensitivity(ΔT), and could maintain the function of photosystem Ⅱ(PSⅡ) at higher temperatures. In addition, the roles of temperature regulation strategies such as leaf morphological structure, water loss, and stomatal regulation in leaf high-temperature tolerance were discussed respectively. In conclusion, the adaptation mechanism of plant leaves under high-temperature conditions was revealed by analyzing leaf heat tolerance parameters and temperature regulation strategies, and this work provided the structure and physiology basis for understanding the mechanism of plant leaf high-temperature tolerance, and theoretical support for future in-depth research on plant heat tolerance.
Aroma is one of the important factors that attract consumers to purchase fruits, and light plays a crucial role in the formation of aroma quality. This article reviewed the impacts of light on fruit aroma quality, analyzing the regulatory mechanisms associated with light quality, intensity, and photoperiod. Furthermore, it examined how interactions between light and other factors(temperature, water, CO2 concentration, and plant hormones) influenced the formation of fruit aroma quality. Finally, future research prospects for enhancing fruit aroma quality through the utilization of light were proposed to serve as a reference for further investigation and improvement.
Spatial transcriptomics(ST) is a technique used to resolve RNA-seq data at the spatial level, thereby resolving all mRNA in a single tissue section. The orderly attachment of spatial barcoding oligo(dT) primers to the surface of microscope slides makes it possible to encode and obtain positional information during mRNA sample processing and subsequent sequencing. Compared with the traditional transcriptome technology, the spatial transcriptome technology can obtain the true gene expression characteristics of cells in the in-situ environment of tissues and the relationship with the microenvironment, and provide high-precision and high-resolution in-situ spatial information for gene expression. In recent years, the development of spatial transcriptome technology has made significant progress. The detected cell flow, the quantity and quality of transcripts are continuously improved, and spatial location information is more accurate and comprehensive. It has been studied in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Populus, etc. In this paper, the successful applications of spatial transcriptome technology in the study of plant dynamic development trajectory, the analysis of differences between different tissues and cell types, and decoding of the interaction between plants and microbial communities were described. The problems and challenges of space transcriptome sequencing technology in plant research were discussed, and the great potential of space transcriptome technology in plant research was revealed, which provided a new perspective for further research and application in related fields.
Pipecolic acid(Pip) is a heterocyclic non-protein amino acid serving as precursor for the biosynthesis of biological metabolites. Structurally, the six-membered cyclic motif consists of five carbons and one nitrogen atom. Pip is a cyclic amino acid derived from lysine, in recent years, it has attracted attention in plant research. This review summarized the discovery, biosynthesis, biological functions, and action mechanisms of pipecolic acid, as well as its applications in agricultural production, and put forward prospects for future research directions aiming to establish a foundation for the potential application.