Taurine (TAU) has recently been found to have an impactful role in regulating plant responses under abiotic stresses. This study presented the comparative effects of TAU seed priming and foliar spray application on chickpea plants exposed to hexavalent chromium. Taurine priming and foliar applications (1.6 and 2.4 mM) notably modulated morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of plants under Cr(VI) stress. Plants subjected to 25 mg kg-1 soil Cr in the form of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) displayed a significant reduction in growth, chlorophyll, and uptake of essential nutrients (N, K, P, and Ca). Cr(VI) toxicity also resulted in a notable increase in osmolyte accumulation, lipid peroxidation, relative membrane permeability, ROS generation, antioxidant enzyme activities, antioxidant compounds, endogenous Cr levels, and aerial Cr translocation. Taurine abridged lipoxygenase activity to diminish lipid peroxidation owing to the overproduction of ROS initiated by a higher Cr content. The acquisition and assimilation of essential nutrients were augmented by the TAU-related decrease in leaf and root Cr levels. Consequently, TAU enhanced growth by mitigating oxidative damage, reducing Cr content in the aerial parts, and reinforcing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Compared to foliar spray, TAU seed priming has demonstrated superior efficacy in mitigating Cr phytotoxicity in plants.

Researchers have tried hard to study the toxic effects of single pollutants like certain antibiotics and nanoplastic particles on plants. But we still know little about how these pollutants interact when they're together in the environment, and what combined toxic effects they have on plants. This study assessed the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), both individually and in combination, on soybean (Glycine max L.) seedlings by various concentration gradients treatments of PS-NPs (0, 10, 100 mg/L) and CIP (0, 10 mg/L). The results indicated that high concentrations of PS-NPs significantly impeded soybean seedling growth, as evidenced by reductions in root length, plant height, and leaf area. CIP predominantly affected the physiological functions of leaves, resulting in a decrease in chlorophyll content. The combined exposure demonstrated synergistic effects, further intensifying the adverse impacts on the growth and physiological functions of soybean seedlings. Metabolomic analyses indicated that single and combined exposures markedly altered the metabolite expression profiles in soybean leaves, particularly related to amino acid and antioxidant defense metabolic pathways. These results indicate the comprehensive effects of NPs with antibiotics on plants and provide novel insights into toxic mechanisms.

Revealing regional-scale differences in microbial community structure and metabolic strategies across different land use types and soil types and how these differences relate to soil carbon (C) cycling function is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agroecosystems. However, our understanding of these knowledge still remains unclear. Here, we employed metagenomic methods to explore differences in microbial community structure, functional potential, and ecological strategies in calcareous soil and red soil, as well as the relationships among these factors and SOC stocks. The results showed that the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity were higher and the fungal absolute abundance and diversity were lower in calcareous soil than in red soil. This may be attributed to stochastic processes dominated the assembly of bacterial and fungal communities in calcareous soil and red soil, respectively. This in turn was closely related to soil pH and Ca2 + content. Linear discriminant analysis showed that genes related to microbial growth and reproduction (e.g., amino acid biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism, and membrane transport) were enriched in calcareous soil. While genes related to stress tolerance (e.g., bacterial chemotaxis, DNA damage repair, biofilm formation) were enriched in red soil. The great difference in soil properties between calcareous soil and red soil may be the cause of this result. Compared with red soil, the higher soil pH, SOC, and calcium and magnesium content in calcareous soil increased the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity, thus increasing the SOC sequestration potential of microorganisms, but also increased the decomposition of organic carbon by fungi, thus increasing the SOC loss potential. However, the bacterial absolute abundance and diversity were much higher than that of fungi. Therefore, soil carbon sequestration potential was still greater than its loss potential in karst agroecosystems. Agricultural disturbance intensity may be the main factor affecting these relationships. Overall, these findings advance our understanding of how soil microbial metabolic processes are related to SOC sequestration.

Excessive fluorine accumulation poses a significant threat to soil ecology and even human health, yet its impact on soil fauna, especially earthworms, remains poorly understood. This study employed multi-omics and biomarkers to investigate high fluorine-induced biochemical changes that cause tissue damages in Eisenia fetida. The results demonstrated that earthworms exhibited obvious damage with fluorine addition exceeding 200 mg kg(-1), with stress levels escalating as fluorine contents increased. Further analysis of the underlying mechanisms revealed that fluorine could upregulate genes encoding mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I-III and downregulate those for IV-V, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation despite antioxidant system activation. The resulting ROS interfered with deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate synthesis, prompting homologous recombination as the main DNA repair mechanism. Additionally, fluorine-induced ROS also attacked and disrupted protein and lipid related metabolisms ultimately causing oxidative damages. These cumulative oxidative damages from high fluorine contents subsequently triggered autophagy or apoptosis, resulting in tissue ulceration and epithelial exfoliation. Therefore, high fluorine could threaten earthworms by inducing ROS accumulation and subsequent biomolecule damages.

Uranium/cadmium (U/Cd) pollution poses a significant global environmental challenge, and phytoremediation offers a sustainable solution for heavy metal contamination. However, the mechanisms by which plants survive U/Cd stress remain unclear. Here, we conducted soil culture experiments of moso bamboo seedlings under U/Cd stress (U, Cd and U + Cd) to examine the effects of it on plant growth, mineral metabolism, and rhizosphere micro-environment. Our findings reveal that U/Cd stress inhibits seedling growth, enhances reactive oxygen species damage, and bolsters the antioxidant system. Additionally, Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) was employed to uncover potential tolerance mechanisms in moso bamboo under U/Cd stress. U/Cd is mainly distributed in the root cell walls and also exists predominantly in the residual state within the roots. Correspondingly, U and Cd significantly disrupt mineral metabolism in plant. Metabolomic analyses indicate that U/ Cd markedly suppress amino acid metabolism pathways, while they stimulate carbon metabolism to mitigate toxicity. Furthermore, U/Cd stress disrupts the rhizosphere microbial community structure, and the competitive interaction of nitrogen functions exists between rhizosphere microorganism and bamboo roots. PLS-PM reveal the U/Cd stress impacts the interaction of the soil-rhizosphere-plant system. Together, these findings offer new insights into the response mechanism of bamboo plants to heavy metal stress, and provide a theoretical foundation for screening heavy metal tolerant plants and managing mining areas.

Zinc (Zn), an essential nutrient element, exhibits hormesis in plants-beneficial at low doses but toxic at high concentrations. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this hormetic response with low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition in wheat, we conducted transcriptomic analysis under different Zn treatments. Low Zn concentration (50 mu M) promoted plant growth by maintaining chlorophyll content, enhancing MAPK signaling, phytohormone signaling, glutathione metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis. High Zn concentration (500 mu M) induced ultrastructural damage and suppressed photosynthesis, chlorophyll metabolism, and secondary metabolisms, while upregulating glutathione metabolism. Molecular docking revealed that hydrogen bonds between Zn and antioxidant enzymes facilitated reactive oxygen species scavenging. Notably, exogenous glutathione (GSH) application enhanced wheat tolerance to Zn stress by strengthening the antioxidant defense system and improving photosynthetic capacity. Our findings elucidate the underlying mechanisms of Zn hormesis in wheat and demonstrate the application potential of glutathione in mitigating Zn toxicity, providing strategies for managing Zn-contaminated soils.

Heavy metal pollution is a global issue that poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health. Microorganisms offer a promising bioremediation approach due to their ability to mitigate metal-induced metabolic damage in an eco-friendly, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Among them, Gram-positive Bacillus species exhibit a high heavy metal adsorption capacity and secrete metabolites with diverse functional properties. Under heavy metal stress, these metabolites play a crucial role in alleviating metal-induced damage. However, the application of Bacillus metabolites in heavy metal remediation faces challenges, including prolonged treatment durations, the necessity for stable environmental conditions, and specific nutrient requirements.This review summarizes recent research on the effects of heavy metal exposure on the metabolic pathways and metabolites of Bacillus spp., elucidates their role in influencing metal bioavailability and chemical transformations, and explores innovative strategies to enhance the stability of Bacillus-mediated heavy metal remediation. The review aims to provide valuable insights for optimizing bioremediation strategies, facilitating the selection of efficient degrading strains, and advancing the sustainable management of heavy metal contamination.

This study investigates the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the metabolism of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and its ecological effects in contaminated environments. We focused on the symbiotic relationships between Iris pseudacorus L. and AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) under HBCD exposure. Our results show that HBCD induces oxidative damage, which hinders plant growth. However, AMF significantly enhance the plant's antioxidant defenses, reducing oxidative damage and supporting better growth of I. pseudacorus. HBCD biodegradation patterns showed beta- > gamma- > alpha-HBCD, with AMF playing a key role in stabilizing rhizosphere microbial communities, particularly promoting Proteobacteria and potential bacterial degraders like Aeromonas and Trichococcus, which contributed to HBCD removal. Additionally, AMF appear to upregulate genes such as cypD_E, GST, dehH, dehA, dehM, Em3.8.1.2, and ligB, which are involved in debromination and hydroxylation reactions. This research highlights AMF's potential to enhance the phytoremediation of HBCD, providing valuable insights for environmental remediation strategies.

Cadmium (Cd) is a pervasive phytotoxic metal which deteriorates soil quality, affecting crops and creating adverse effects on the environment, food safety, and human health. Cd in soil poses negative effects on plants at the physiological, structural, and molecular level. Application of silicon (Si) can reduce Cd accumulation by suppressing Cd uptake in plants, while spermidine (Spd) alleviates Cd toxicity through improved antioxidant capacity. However, their combined effects on antioxidant system and endogenous polyamines (PAs) level in Cd-stressed plants and the underlying antioxidative defense mechanism are poorly understood. Salix matsudana Koidz. is a fast-growing tree species with high Cd tolerance, making it potentially suitable for phytoremediation. Here, the S. matsudana seedings were subjected to 50 mu M Cd stress with or without addition of 1.5 mM sodium silicate and 0.1 mM Spd. Following that, the non-enzymatic/enzymatic antioxidants, stressed-related genes and endogenous PAs levels were determined. The results showed that Cd stress suppressed the growth traits of S. matsudana while increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation in the leaves, which also showed heightened Cd levels. However, exogenous application of Si and Spd increased activities of antioxidative enzymes and ameliorated the Cd-induced oxidative damage. Moreover, combined treatment with Si and Spd showed higher glutathione (GSH) and GSH/GSSH (oxidized glutathione) ratio compared to their individual applications. The results provided sufficient evidence regarding the synergistic effect of Si and Spd in the amelioration of Cd-induced oxidative stress in S. matsudana seedlings.

Enrichment of the habitat of captive rodents Heterocephalus glaber (naked mole rats) to implement their innate behavioral pattern of digging dense soil in search of food, paradoxically led to the appearance of unusual animals in the colony. They showed signs of cachexia, distinguished from other animals by a lower temperature (from 31 degrees C to 26 degrees C) and body mass index with decreasing proportion of subcutaneous fat. This animal demonstrated aggressive feeding behavior, but didn't gain weight even after finishing experiment with intensive physical activity. In histochemical analysis of tissues from cachexic and normal animals of the same age and sex liver hyperlipofuscinos is was revealed and indicated that animals when being in a habitat with an increased oxygen content for them (21 % versus 8 % in their natural underground habitat), experienced severe oxidative stress during physical exercise. Stress led to a disruption of the body's regulatory systems, a sharp increase in metabolism even at rest, an overload of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and damage to organs and tissues. To clarify the pathogenetic mechanism of the observed phenomenon, microRNA was extracted from the animal tissues and sequenced. Then bioinformatics analysis of differential expression of microRNAs between groups of healthy animals and animals with idiopathic cachexia was performed. (c) 2025 Elsevier B.V. and Soci & eacute;t & eacute; Fran & ccedil;aise de Biochimie et Biologie Mol & eacute;culaire (SFBBM). All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.