Publications of NIPGR Scientists
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://ndkr-library.nipgr.ac.in/handle/123456789/1
Browse
12 results
Search Results
Item Unearthing root response mechanisms to soil compaction in legumes(John Wiley & Sons, 2026) Ganotra, Jahanvi; Pandey, Mandavi; Pandey, Bipin K.; Giri, JitenderRoots are essential for the survival and functioning of plants, serving as anchors in the soil and drawing in vital nutrients and water. Roots also engage in diverse microbial interactions, including pathogenic interactions that cause plant disease and non-pathogenic interactions, such as symbiotic and commensal relationships. Mechanical resistance in compacted soil is one of the biggest challenges for root exploration. Soil compaction hampers plant growth by restricting root elongation, reducing root proliferation, and limiting access to water, nutrients, and oxygen. These restrictions interfere with root-microbe interactions and also impair aboveground growth, leading to decreased shoot biomass, stunted development, and lower overall productivity. Legume roots form symbiotic relationships with soil-dwelling Rhizobium, resulting in root nodules that convert atmospheric nitrogen (N) into ammonia, thereby promoting plant growth. However, the impact of soil compaction on legume roots remains poorly studied. In this review, we examine key adaptive strategies used by legume roots to counteract soil compaction, focusing on the underlying molecular pathways. A complex signalling network regulates molecular processes that control root development and nodulation in legumes. We also explore the genetic and environmental factors that influence morphological, anatomical, and biochemical traits under mechanical stress, providing insights for improving stress resilience in legumes.Item The host and pathogen myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthases are required for Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA infection in tomato(John Wiley & Sons, 2024) Tyagi, Kriti; Chandan, Ravindra K.; Sahoo, Debashis; Ghosh, Srayan; Gupta, Santosh Kumar; Jha, GopaljeeThe myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (MIPS) catalyses the biosynthesis of myo-inositol, an important sugar that regulates various physiological and biochemical processes in plants. Here, we provide evidence that host (SlMIPS1) and pathogen (Rs_MIPS) myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase (MIPS) genes are required for successful infection of Rhizoctonia solani, a devastating necrotrophic fungal pathogen, in tomato. Silencing of either SlMIPS1 or Rs_MIPS prevented disease, whereas an exogenous spray of myo-inositol enhanced disease severity. SlMIPS1 was upregulated upon R. solani infection, and potentially promoted source-to-sink transition, induced SWEET gene expression, and facilitated sugar availability in the infected tissues. In addition, salicylic acid (SA)-jasmonic acid homeostasis was altered and SA-mediated defence was suppressed; therefore, disease was promoted. On the other hand, silencing of SlMIPS1 limited sugar availability and induced SA-mediated defence to prevent R. solani infection. Virus-induced gene silencing of NPR1, a key gene in SA signalling, rendered SlMIPS1-silenced tomato lines susceptible to infection. These analyses suggest that induction of SA-mediated defence imparts disease tolerance in SlMIPS1-silenced tomato lines. In addition, we present evidence that SlMIPS1 and SA negatively regulate each other to modulate the defence response. SA treatment reduced SlMIPS1 expression and myo-inositol content in tomato, whereas myo-inositol treatment prevented SA-mediated defence. We emphasize that downregulation of host/pathogen MIPS can be an important strategy for controlling diseases caused by R. solani in agriculturally important crops.Item Editorial: Plant transcription factors associated with abiotic stress tolerance in crops and wild-relatives(Frontiers Media S.A., 2024) Puglia, Giuseppe Diego; Frugis, Giovanna; Yadav, GitanjaliEditorial on the Research Topic Plant transcription factors associated with abiotic stress tolerance in crop and wild-relatives Global climate change (GCC), by altering the intensity and frequency of potentially damaging weather events such as droughts, waterlogging, heat waves, and cold spells, has altered seasonal weather patterns, causing severe problems for plant crops and wildlife species (Cramer et al., 2011; Asseng et al., 2015; Minoli et al., 2019). To cope with these challenges, plants have evolved complex regulatory mechanisms that enable them to respond and adapt to changing environmental conditions, while maintaining a balance between optimal growth and stress (Eckardt et al., 2023). This Research Topic brings together several contributions that highlight the role of transcriptional regulation in plant responses to abiotic stresses and hypothesise its role in stress tolerance. The studies published in this Research Topic deal with well-recognised groups of transcription factors (TFs), but also with new ones whose association with the response to abiotic stresses has been demonstrated by recent molecular advances. This evidence allows us to shed light on the mechanisms by which plants respond to different stresses, with a focus on abiotic stresses such as salt, drought, cold, and waterlogging.Item Plant growth coordination during stress conditions: Role of phytohormones(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Gupta, Shreya; Devi, Loitongbam Lorinda; Singh, Amar PalPlants encounter multiple stresses which are associated with compromised plant growth and yield across the globe. Several studies have been done in the past few years to understand plant acclimatization under numerous stresses like nutrient deficiency, drought, salinity, temperature, and pathogen attack. The shoot and root system architecture in plants seems a promising approach as it is highly sensitive to edaphic and internal signals and plants adapt by modulating them to these stresses. Intrinsic factors such as growth hormones are the key components of the plant whose levels and signaling determine the extent of plant growth and performance. The major phytohormones that are involved in monitoring plant development for optimized plant growth during environmental stresses are auxin, brassinosteroids, cytokinin, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, gibberellins, and ethylene. In recent years, detailed genetic and biochemical analysis of the signaling and biosynthesis genes and transcription factors of these hormones have been studied from the model plant Arabidopsis to different crops. Genetic studies have shown that these hormones regulate several biological processes of root and shoot growth including cell elongation, division and differentiation, root hair and lateral root formation, and floral and leaf morphology in response to altered environmental conditions. In this chapter, the current understanding of both above- and below-ground plant organs and their developmental plasticity during stress conditions along with the interplay of growth hormones has been summarized and discussed.Item Regulatory role of phytohormones in the interaction of plants with insect herbivores(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Kundu, Pritha; Bera, Paramita; Mishra, Shruti; Vadassery, JyothilakshmiInsect herbivores affect crop growth worldwide, causing significant yield losses annually. Phytohormones are prime signaling molecules that coordinate many physiological phenomena, besides triggering stress-responsive regulatory genes involved in plant defense. Here, we present a holistic picture of the central role of various phytohormones—jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, ethylene, abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids in regulating the diverse molecular interactions between plants and insect herbivores. With an initial overview of the early signaling response, the chapter majorly focuses on the role of different key phytohormones in defending plants against herbivory and their cross talk. We also describe the phytohormone-mediated production of secondary metabolites and other defense toxins to counteract harmful herbivores. With the well-established myriad of information in selected plant–herbivore model systems, it is now critical to translate this knowledge to less explored crop plants for sustainable development in agriculture.Item Regulation of plants nutrient deficiency responses by phytohormones(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Deepika, Deepika; Sonkar, Kamankshi; Singh, AmarjeetLiving organisms have the ability to acquire nutrients from their physical environment and subsequently convert them into an energy source for survival and growth. In plants, nutrients are involved in metabolism and physiology either as constituents of metabolites or enzymes for macromolecule biosynthesis. Based on their concentration in plant dry matter, the 14 essential inorganic elements are categorized into macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients include six elements, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), whereas the micronutrients comprised eight elements, chlorine (Cl), iron (Fe), boron (B), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and nickel (Ni) (de Bang et al., 2020; Sustr et al., 2019). Nutrients are distributed in a patchy manner in soil due to their variable interactions with spatially and temporally dispersed charged soil particles (Hodge, 2006). This, along with many other factors, leads to either low nutrient concentration in soil or low accessibility for plants. Low availability of a nutrient causes specific deficiency symptoms. But plants usually face multiple nutrient deficiencies simultaneously leading to a complex response and symptoms. Moreover, various biotic and abiotic stress factors, such as pests, pathogens, water deficit, salinity, and light, also interact to cause atypical nutrient deficiency symptoms (Amtmann et al., 2008; Troufflard et al., 2010; Atkinsonand Urwin., 2012). Globally, nutrient deficiencies are major threats to crop production, causing reduced yields and poor food and feed quality. The world food security challenge is being met by the use of chemical fertilizers (natural and anthropogenic).Item Jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathway and its functional role in plants(Elsevier B.V., 2023) Ankit, Ankit; Kamali, Saravanappriyan; Singh, AmarjeetPlants encounter various abiotic and biotic stresses including drought, heat, cold, salinity, osmotic stress, fungal infection, herbivore attacks in their natural habitat. In these unavoidable circumstances various phytohormones play crucial roles in regulating plant growth and development (Khan et al., 2019, 2020a, 2020b; Nazir et al., 2019, 2021, 2022; Poo´r et al., 2021). Jasmonic acid (JA) is a lipid-derived phytohormone which acts as a signal as well as regulator in various physiological processes and stress conditions. Methyl ester of JA (MeJA) is the first active jasmonate which was detected and isolated as an odorant from Jasminium grandiflorum flowers (Demole et al., 1962). Among the conjugates of JA, JA-Ile is the most biologically active form (Fonseca et al., 2009). Recently, cis-(1)-12- oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA) an intermediate in the lipoxygenases (LOX) pathway for JA biosynthesis has been shown to be functional signaling molecule instead of JA in lower plants, such as Marchantia polymorpha (liverworts), Physcomitrella patens (moss) and Selaginella martensii (spikemoss) (Ogorodnikova et al., 2015; Stumpe et al., 2010; Yamamoto et al., 2015). Apart from bryophytes, fungus species such as Fusarium oxysporum have JA and/or JA-Ile conjugate (Miersch et al., 1999). Although, JA and its derivatives are distributed among bryophytes and fungi, most of the homologs of JA biosynthesis enzymes are present in major lineages of land plants (Han, 2017). In last decade, studies have been performed in both monocotyledons as well as dicotyledons plants to better understand the JA biosynthesis mechanism. In Arabidopsis, JA biosynthesis mainly occurs in chloroplast, peroxisome and cytoplasm (Ruan et al., 2019). In chloroplast, OPDA is synthesized from unsaturated fatty acid α-linolenic acid (α-LeA) derived from the chloroplast membrane, followed by its conversion into JA in peroxisome. The conversion of JA into different functional and structural metabolites takes place in the cytoplasm. JA and its other derivatives like MeJA and JA-Ile are collectively known as jasmonates.Item Plant phosphate status influences root biotic interactions(Oxford University Press, 2023) Pazhamala, Lekha T; Giri, JitenderPhosphorus (P) deficiency stress in combination with biotic stress(s) severely impacts crop yield. Plant responses to P deficiency overlapping with that of other stresses exhibit a high degree of complexity involving different signaling pathways. On one hand, plants engage with rhizosphere microbiome/ arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for improved phosphate (Pi) acquisition and plant stress response upon Pi deficiency, on the other, this association is inhibited under Pi sufficiency. This nutrient-dependent response is highly regulated by phosphate starvation response (PSR) mediated by the master regulator, PHR1 and its homolog, PHL. It is interesting to note that Pi status (deficiency/sufficiency) has a varying response (positive/negative) to different biotic encounters (beneficial microbes/opportunistic pathogens/insect herbivory), through a coupled PSR-PHR1-immune response. This also involves crosstalk among multiple players including transcription factors, defense hormones, microRNAs, and phosphate transporters, among others influencing the plant-biotic-phosphate interactions. We provide a comprehensive view of these key players involved in maintaining a delicate balance between Pi homeostasis and plant immunity. Finally, we propose strategies to utilize this information to improve crop resilience to P deficiency in combination with biotic stresses.Item Jasmonic acid coordinates with light, glucose and auxin signalling in regulating branching angle of Arabidopsis lateral roots(John Wiley & Sons, 2022) Sharma, Manvi; Sharma, Mohan; Jamsheer, K. Muhammed; Laxmi, AshveryaThe role of jasmonates (JAs) in primary root growth and development and in plant response to external stimuli is already known. However, its role in lateral root (LR) development remains to be explored. Our work identified methyl jasmonate (MeJA) as a key phytohormone in determining the branching angle of Arabidopsis LRs. MeJA inclines the LRs to a more vertical orientation, which was dependent on the canonical JAR1-COI1-MYC2,3,4 signalling. Our work also highlights the dual roles of light in governing LR angle. Light signalling enhances JA biosynthesis, leading to erect root architecture; whereas, glucose (Glc) induces wider branching angles. Combining physiological and molecular assays, we revealed that Glc antagonizes the MeJA response via TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) signalling. Moreover, physiological assays using auxin mutants, MYC2-mediated transcriptional activation of LAZY2, LAZY4 and auxin biosynthetic gene CYP79B2,and asymmetric distribution of DR5::GFP and PIN2::GFP pinpointed the role of an intact auxin mechanism required by MeJA for vertical growth of LRs. We also demonstrated that light perception and signalling are indispensable for inducing vertical angles by MeJA. Thus, our investigation highlights antagonism between light and Glc signalling and how they interact with JA-auxin signals to optimize the branching angle of LRs.Item Progress and prospects of concurrent or combined stress studies in plants(John Wiley & Sons, 2021) Mahalingam, Ramamurthy; Pandey, Prachi; Senthil-Kumar, MuthappaPlants growing under field conditions are often exposed to multiple abiotic and biotic stresses occurring simultaneously or sequentially. Biotic stressors often interact with abiotic stressors at the plant interphase, which makes the impact of their combination on plants remarkably variable, though differing with order and intensity of stresses, as well as plant species and pathotypes. In this article, we examine the major abiotic stress combinations, as well as abiotic-biotic stress combinations, and physiological and molecular responses of plants to these combined stresses. Utilizing the available literature, information on the phenomic and transcriptomic response of plants to the combined abiotic and biotic stresses, and the cross-talk during signalling is reviewed. A succinct discussion on the scope and application of combined abiotic and biotic stress studies highlighting major gaps and novel avenues for further research is articulated.