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International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2021Plant association with microorganisms elicits dramatic effects on the local phytobiome and often causes systemic and transgenerational modulation on plant immunity... (Review)
Review
Plant association with microorganisms elicits dramatic effects on the local phytobiome and often causes systemic and transgenerational modulation on plant immunity against insect pests and microbial pathogens. Previously, we introduced the concept of the plant social networking system (pSNS) to highlight the active involvement of plants in the recruitment of potentially beneficial microbiota upon exposure to insects and pathogens. Microbial association stimulates the physiological responses of plants and induces the development of their immune mechanisms while interacting with multiple enemies. Thus, beneficial microbes serve as important mediators of interactions among multiple members of the multitrophic, microscopic and macroscopic communities. In this review, we classify the steps of pSNS such as elicitation, signaling, secreting root exudates, and plant protection; summarize, with evidence, how plants and beneficial microbes communicate with each other; and also discuss how the molecular mechanisms underlying this communication are induced in plants exposed to natural enemies. Collectively, the pSNS modulates robustness of plant physiology and immunity and promotes survival potential by helping plants to overcome the environmental and biological challenges.
Topics: Animals; Insecta; Lipids; Microbiota; Plant Diseases; Plant Immunity; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant Roots; Plants; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33805032
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073319 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Jun 2021Biological invasions impose ecological and economic problems on a global scale, but also provide extraordinary opportunities for studying contemporary evolution. It is... (Review)
Review
Biological invasions impose ecological and economic problems on a global scale, but also provide extraordinary opportunities for studying contemporary evolution. It is critical to understand the evolutionary processes that underly invasion success in order to successfully manage existing invaders, and to prevent future invasions. As successful invasive species sometimes are suspected to rapidly adjust to their new environments in spite of very low genetic diversity, we are obliged to re-evaluate genomic-level processes that translate into phenotypic diversity. In this paper, we review work that supports the idea that trait variation, within and among invasive populations, can be created through epigenetic or other non-genetic processes, particularly in clonal invaders where somatic changes can persist indefinitely. We consider several processes that have been implicated as adaptive in invasion success, focusing on various forms of 'genomic shock' resulting from exposure to environmental stress, hybridization and whole-genome duplication (polyploidy), and leading to various patterns of gene expression re-programming and epigenetic changes that contribute to phenotypic variation or even novelty. These mechanisms can contribute to transgressive phenotypes, including hybrid vigour and novel traits, and may thus help to understand the huge successes of some plant invaders, especially those that are genetically impoverished. This article is part of the theme issue 'How does epigenetics influence the course of evolution?'
Topics: Biological Evolution; Epigenesis, Genetic; Genome, Plant; Hybridization, Genetic; Introduced Species; Life History Traits; Phenotype; Plant Dispersal; Plants; Polyploidy
PubMed: 33866809
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0117 -
The New Phytologist Jun 2022Plants form complex interaction networks with diverse microbiomes in the environment, and the intricate interplay between plants and their associated microbiomes can... (Review)
Review
Plants form complex interaction networks with diverse microbiomes in the environment, and the intricate interplay between plants and their associated microbiomes can greatly influence ecosystem processes and functions. The phyllosphere, the aerial part of the plant, provides a unique habitat for diverse microbes, and in return the phyllosphere microbiome greatly affects plant performance. As an open system, the phyllosphere is subjected to environmental perturbations, including global change, which will impact the crosstalk between plants and their microbiomes. In this review, we aim to provide a synthesis of current knowledge of the complex interactions between plants and the phyllosphere microbiome under global changes and to identify future priority areas of research on this topic.
Topics: Microbiota; Plants
PubMed: 34921429
DOI: 10.1111/nph.17928 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2022The agriculture sector has been put under tremendous strain by the world's growing population. The use of fertilizers and pesticides in conventional farming has had a... (Review)
Review
The agriculture sector has been put under tremendous strain by the world's growing population. The use of fertilizers and pesticides in conventional farming has had a negative impact on the environment and human health. Sustainable agriculture attempts to maintain productivity, while protecting the environment and feeding the global population. The importance of soil-dwelling microbial populations in overcoming these issues cannot be overstated. Various processes such as rhizospheric competence, antibiosis, release of enzymes, and induction of systemic resistance in host plants are all used by microbes to influence plant-microbe interactions. These processes are largely founded on chemical signalling. Producing, releasing, detecting, and responding to chemicals are all part of chemical signalling. Different microbes released distinct sorts of chemical signal molecules which interacts with the environment and hosts. Microbial chemicals affect symbiosis, virulence, competence, conjugation, antibiotic production, motility, sporulation, and biofilm growth, to name a few. We present an in-depth overview of chemical signalling between bacteria-bacteria, bacteria-fungi, and plant-microbe and the diverse roles played by these compounds in plant microbe interactions. These compounds' current and potential uses and significance in agriculture have been highlighted.
Topics: Agriculture; Bacteria; Fertilizers; Humans; Plants; Quorum Sensing; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 36012261
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23168998 -
Gene Jun 2022Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) act as "aldehyde scavengers" in plants, eliminating reactive aldehydes and hence performing a crucial part in response to stress. ALDH... (Review)
Review
Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) act as "aldehyde scavengers" in plants, eliminating reactive aldehydes and hence performing a crucial part in response to stress. ALDH has been specified multiple activities since its identification in the mammalian system 72 years ago. But the most widely researched role in plants is their engagement in stress tolerance. Multiple ALDH families are found in both animals and plants, and many genes are substantially conserved within these two evolutionary diverse taxa, yet both have their unique members/families. A total of twenty-four ALDH protein family has been reported across organisms, where plants contain fourteen families. Surprisingly, the number of genes in the ALDH superfamily has risen in the higher plants because of genome duplication and expansion, indicating the functional versatilely. Observed expansion in the ALDH isoforms might provide high plasticity in their actions to achieve diversified roles in the plant. The physiological importance and functional diversity of ALDHs including plant development and environmental stress adaptability, and their evolution in plants has been studied extensively. Future investigations need to focus on evaluating the individual and interconnecting function of multiple ALDH isoforms across organisms in providing plants with proper development, maturation, and adaptability against harsh environmental conditions.
Topics: Aldehyde Dehydrogenase; Aldehydes; Animals; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Mammals; Multigene Family; Phylogeny; Plants
PubMed: 35447239
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146522 -
The New Phytologist Apr 2024A minuscule fraction of the Earth's paleobiological diversity is preserved in the geological record as fossils. What plant remnants have withstood taphonomic filtering,... (Review)
Review
A minuscule fraction of the Earth's paleobiological diversity is preserved in the geological record as fossils. What plant remnants have withstood taphonomic filtering, fragmentation, and alteration in their journey to become part of the fossil record provide unique information on how plants functioned in paleo-ecosystems through their traits. Plant traits are measurable morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, or phenological characteristics that potentially affect their environment and fitness. Here, we review the rich literature of paleobotany, through the lens of contemporary trait-based ecology, to evaluate which well-established extant plant traits hold the greatest promise for application to fossils. In particular, we focus on fossil plant functional traits, those measurable properties of leaf, stem, reproductive, or whole plant fossils that offer insights into the functioning of the plant when alive. The limitations of a trait-based approach in paleobotany are considerable. However, in our critical assessment of over 30 extant traits we present an initial, semi-quantitative ranking of 26 paleo-functional traits based on taphonomic and methodological criteria on the potential of those traits to impact Earth system processes, and for that impact to be quantifiable. We demonstrate how valuable inferences on paleo-ecosystem processes (pollination biology, herbivory), past nutrient cycles, paleobiogeography, paleo-demography (life history), and Earth system history can be derived through the application of paleo-functional traits to fossil plants.
Topics: Ecosystem; Fossils; Ecology; Plants; Phenotype
PubMed: 38409806
DOI: 10.1111/nph.19622 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Sep 2020Existing paradigms for plant microevolution rarely acknowledge the potential impacts of diverse microbiomes on evolutionary processes. Many plant-associated... (Review)
Review
Existing paradigms for plant microevolution rarely acknowledge the potential impacts of diverse microbiomes on evolutionary processes. Many plant-associated microorganisms benefit the host via access to resources, protection from pathogens, or amelioration of abiotic stress. In doing so, they alter the plant's perception of the environment, potentially reducing the strength of selection acting on plant stress tolerance or defence traits or altering the traits that are the target of selection. We posit that the microbiome can affect plant microevolution via (1) manipulation of plant phenotypes in ways that increase plant fitness under stress and (2) direct microbial responses to the environment that benefit the plant. Both mechanisms might favour plant genotypes that attract or stimulate growth of the most responsive microbial populations or communities. We provide support for these scenarios using infectious disease and quantitative genetics models. Finally, we discuss how beneficial plant-microbiome associations can evolve if traditional mechanisms maintaining cooperation in pairwise symbioses, namely partner fidelity, partner choice and fitness alignment, also apply to the interactions between plants and diverse foliar and soil microbiomes. To understand the role of the plant microbiome in host evolution will require a broad ecological understanding of plant-microbe interactions across both space and time. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of the microbiome in host evolution'.
Topics: Biological Evolution; Genotype; Microbiota; Phenotype; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants; Stress, Physiological; Symbiosis
PubMed: 32772675
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0590 -
The New Phytologist Jun 2024In recent years, the idea has flourished that plants emit and perceive sound and could even be capable of exchanging information through the acoustic channel. While... (Review)
Review
In recent years, the idea has flourished that plants emit and perceive sound and could even be capable of exchanging information through the acoustic channel. While research into plant bioacoustics is still in its infancy, with potentially fascinating discoveries awaiting ahead, here we show that the current knowledge is not conclusive. While plants do emit sounds under biotic and abiotic stresses such as drought, these sounds are high-pitched, of low intensity, and propagate only to a short distance. Most studies suggesting plant sensitivity to airborne sound actually concern the perception of substrate vibrations from the soil or plant part. In short, while low-frequency, high-intensity sounds emitted by a loudspeaker close to the plant seem to have tangible effects on various plant processes such as growth - a finding with possible applications in agriculture - it is unlikely that plants can perceive the sounds they produce, at least over long distances. So far, there is no evidence of plants communicating with each other via the acoustic channel.
Topics: Sound; Acoustics; Plants; Plant Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 38424727
DOI: 10.1111/nph.19648 -
Bioorganic Chemistry Feb 2023The use of medicinal plants has gained renewed wide popularity in Africa, Asia, and most parts of the world because of the decreasing efficacy of synthetic drugs. Thus,... (Review)
Review
The use of medicinal plants has gained renewed wide popularity in Africa, Asia, and most parts of the world because of the decreasing efficacy of synthetic drugs. Thus, natural products serve as a potent source of alternative remedy. Tetrapleura tetraptera is a medicinal plant with cultural and traditional significance in West Africa. In addition to the plant being commonly used as a spice in the preparation of traditional spicy food for postpartum care it is also widely used to constitute herbal concoctions and decoctions for treatment of diseases. This review aimed to provide an up-to-date information on the ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacological activities and phytoconstituents of T. tetraptera. Preclinical studies regarding the plant's toxicity profile were also reviewed. For this updated review, literature search was done on PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, and Google Scholar databases using the relevant keywords. The review used a total of 106 papers that met the inclusion criteria from January 1989 - February 2022 and summarised the bioactivities that have been reported for the rich phytoconstituents of T. tetraptera studied using various chemical methods. Considering the huge report, the review focused on the antimicrobial and antiinflammatory activities of the plant extracts and isolated compounds. Aridan, aridanin and several bioactive compounds of T. tetraptera have shown pharmacological activities though their mechanisms of action are yet to be fully understood. This study also highlighted the influence of plant parts and extraction solvents on its biological activities. It also presented data on the toxicological profile of the plant extracts using different models. From cultural uses to modern pharmacological research the bioactive compounds of T. tetraptera have proved effective in infectious disease management. We hope that this paper provided a robust summary of the biological activities and toxicological profile of T. tetraptera, thus calling for more research into the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic activities of natural products to help combat the growing threat of drug resistance and provide guidelines for their ethnomedicinal uses.
Topics: Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Tetrapleura
PubMed: 36470194
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106288 -
Current Biology : CB Apr 2021Circadian regulation has a pervasive influence upon plant development, physiology and metabolism, impacting upon components of fitness and traits of agricultural... (Review)
Review
Circadian regulation has a pervasive influence upon plant development, physiology and metabolism, impacting upon components of fitness and traits of agricultural importance. Circadian regulation is inextricably connected to the responses of plants to their abiotic environments, from the cellular to whole plant scales. Here, we review the crosstalk that occurs between circadian regulation and responses to the abiotic environment from the intracellular scale through to naturally fluctuating environments. We examine the spatial crosstalk that forms part of plant circadian regulation, at the subcellular, tissue, organ and whole-plant scales. This includes a focus on chloroplast and mitochondrial signalling, alternative splicing, long-distance circadian signalling and circadian regulation within natural environments. We also consider mathematical models for plant circadian regulation, to suggest future areas for advancing understanding of roles for circadian regulation in plant responses to environmental cues.
Topics: Alternative Splicing; Circadian Clocks; Circadian Rhythm; Environment; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Development; Plants; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33905701
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.046