Effect of nitrogen reduction by chemical fertilization with green manure (Vicia sativa L.) on soil microbial community, nitrogen metabolism and and yield of Uncaria rhynchophylla by metagenomics.

Uncaria rhynchophylla is an important herbal medicine, and the predominant issues affecting its cultivation include a single method of fertilizer application and inappropriate chemical fertilizer application. To reduce the use of inorganic nitrogen fertilization and increase the yield of Uncaria rhynchophylla, field experiments in 2020-2021 were conducted. The experimental treatments included the following categories: S1, no fertilization; S2, application of chemical NPK fertilizer; and S3-S6, application of chemical fertilizers and green manures, featuring nitrogen fertilizers reductions of 0%, 15%, 30%, and 45%, respectively. The results showed that a moderate application of nitrogen fertilizer when combined with green manure, can help alleviate soil acidification and increase urease activity. Specifically, the treatment with green manure provided in a 14.71-66.67% increase in urease activity compared to S2. Metagenomics sequencing results showed a decrease in diversity in S3, S4, S5, and S6 compared to S2, but the application of chemical fertilizer with green manure promoted an increase in the relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi. In addition, the nitrification pathway displayed a progressive augmentation in tandem with the reduction in nitrogen fertilizer and application of green manure, reaching its zenith at S5. Conversely, other nitrogen metabolism pathways showed a decline in correlation with diminishing nitrogen fertilizer dosages. The rest of the treatments showed an increase in yield in comparison to S1, S5 showing significant differences (p < 0.05). In summary, although S2 demonstrate the ability to enhance soil microbial diversity, it is important to consider the long-term ecological impacts, and S5 may be a better choice.

Biochemical and thermodynamic properties of de novo synthesized urease from Vicia sativa seeds with enhanced industrial applications.

Urease is one of the most significant enzymes in the industry. The objective of this research was to isolate and partially purify urease from Vicia sativa seeds with urease characterization. With a 6.4 % yield, the purification fold was 9.0. By using chromatography, it was determined that the isolated urease had a molecular weight of 55 kDa. The maximum urease activity was found following a 60-s incubation period at 40 °C and pH 8. The activity of urease was significantly boosted by a mean of calcium, barium, DL-dithiothreitol, Na2EDTA, and citrate (16.9, 26.6, 18.6, 13.6, and 31 %), respectively. But nickel and mercury caused inhibitory effects and completely inhibited urease activity, indicating the presence of a thiol (-SH) group in the enzyme active site. The Arrhenius plot was used to analyze the thermodynamic constants of activation, Ea, ΔH*, ΔG*, and ΔS*. The results showed that the values were 30 kJ/mol, 93.14 kJ/mol, 107.17 kJ/mol/K, and -40.80 J/mol/K, respectively. The significance of urease extraction from various sources may contribute to our understanding of the metabolism of urea in plants. The current report has novelty as it explained for the first time the kinetics and thermodynamics of hydrolysis of urea and inactivation of urease from V. sativa seeds.

Effects of alkaline pH and gallic acid enrichment on the physicochemical properties of sesame protein and common vetch starch-based composite films.

In this study, sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) meal protein and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) starch were extracted and used to obtain biodegradable composite films at different pH values (7, 9, and 11). Films were plasticized with glycerol (2.5 %) and enriched with gallic acid (0.25 %). Increasing pH promoted mechanical properties of the films with the developed barrier and thermal characteristics. Gallic acid addition at pH 7 resulted in lower tensile strength and higher elongation by reducing intermolecular forces, and a shift of diffraction peaks through lower angles due to crystal lattice expansion, as compared to neutral films without gallic acid. On the other hand, gallic acid-enriched films at neutral pH exhibited superior antioxidant properties. The mild alkalinity with gallic acid provided the lowest water vapor permeability, high thermal stability, improved mechanical properties and light barrier property due to deprotonation and subsequent interactions with biopolymers. The FTIR spectrum confirmed intense interactions, such as crosslinking and covalent bonding, promoted by mild alkalinity. Therefore, sesame protein and common vetch starch-based composite film with gallic acid incorporation at pH 9 can be recommended to be used in biodegradable active food packaging applications.

Transcriptomic analysis revealed the candidate metabolic pathways and genes associated with cold tolerance in a mutant without anthocyanin accumulation in common vetch (Vicia sativa L.).

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a leguminous crop used to feed livestock with vegetative organs or fertilize soils by returning to the field. Survival of fall-seeded plants is often affected by freezing damage during overwintering. This study aims to investigate the transcriptomic profiling in response to cold in a mutant with reduced accumulation of anthocyanins under normal growth and low-temperature conditions for understanding the underlying mechanisms. The mutant had increased cold a tolerance with higher survival rate and biomass during overwintering compared to the wild type, which led to increased forage production. Transcriptomic analysis in combination with qRT-PCR and physiological measurements revealed that reduced anthocyanins accumulation in the mutant resulted from reduced expression of serial genes involving in anthocyanin biosynthesis, which led to the altered metabolism, with an increased accumulation of free amino acids and polyamines. The higher levels of free amino acids and proline in the mutant under low temperature were associated with improved cold tolerance. The altered expression of some genes involved in ABA and GA signaling was also associated with increased cold tolerance in the mutant.

A comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals a coordinated mechanism activated in response to cold acclimation in common vetch (Vicia sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: Due to its strong abiotic stress tolerance, common vetch is widely cultivated as a green manure and forage crop in grass and crop rotation systems. The comprehensive molecular mechanisms activated in common vetch during cold adaptation remain unknown. RESULTS: We investigated physiological responses and transcriptome profiles of cold-sensitive (Lanjian No. 1) and cold-tolerant (Lanjian No. 3) cultivars during cold acclimation to explore the molecular mechanisms of cold acclimation. In total, 2681 and 2352 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Lanjian No. 1 and Lanjian No. 3, respectively; 7532 DEGs were identified in both lines. DEGs involved in "plant hormone signal transduction" were significantly enriched during cold treatment, and 115 DEGs involved in cold-processed hormone signal transduction were identified. Common vetch increased the level of indoleacetic acid (IAA) by upregulating the transcriptional regulator Aux/IAA and downregulating GH3, endowing it with stronger cold tolerance. An auxin-related DEG was overexpressed in yeast and shown to possess a biological function conferring cold tolerance. CONCLUSION: This study identifies specific genes involved in Ca2+ signaling, redox regulation, circadian clock, plant hormones, and transcription factors whose transcriptional differentiation during cold acclimation may improve cold tolerance and contributes to the understanding of common and unique molecular mechanisms of cold acclimation in common vetch. The candidate genes identified here also provide valuable resources for further functional genomic and breeding studies.

Evaluation of salt tolerance in common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) germplasms and the physiological responses to salt stress.

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is an important leguminous crop, providing humans with starch from seeds, feeding livestock with vegetative organs, or fertilizing soils by returning to field. It is aimed to evaluate salt tolerance in common vetch collections for breeding programs and to investigate the underlined physiological mechanisms. Relative germination rate and relative seedling growth showed great difference among common vetch collections in response to salt. A lower level of Na+ and higher levels of K+ and K+/Na+ ratio were maintained in both shoots and roots in salt-tolerant collections than in salt-sensitive ones under salt stress. Expression of the genes involved in transportation and redistribution of Na+ and K+ were cooperatively responsible for salt stress. Transcript levels of NHX7, HKT1, AKT2, and HAK17 in leaves and roots were induced after salt stress, with higher transcript levels in salt-tolerant collections compared with the sensitive ones. Proline and P5CS1 transcript levels were increased after salt stress, with higher levels in salt-tolerant collection compared with salt-sensitive ones. Both O2- and H2O2 were accumulated after salt stress, and lower levels were accumulated in salt-tolerant collection compared with salt-sensitive ones. Superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities were altered in response to salt and higher levels were maintained in salt-tolerant collections compared with salt-sensitive ones. It is suggested that salt tolerance in common vetch is associated with maintenance of K+ and Na+ homeostasis and the associated gene expression and promoted proline accumulation and antioxidant defense system.

Understanding the texture and digestibility attributes of rice noodles supplemented with common vetch starch.

The effects of common vetch starch (CVS) substitution on rice noodle quality were investigated, aiming to improve their texture and reduce starch digestibility. The CVS had larger granule sizes, higher amylose content and more long branch chains compared with rice starch (RS). When the CVS substitution level was 20 %, the rice noodles had the best texture quality, as the mixtures with more total starch and amylose could form denser gel structures. Moreover, the starch chains were easier to rearrange to form double helix ordered structures, resulting in a slower digestion rate. With the further increase of CVS, the noodle structure weakened and the starch digestion rate increased. This was due to the formation of looser gel structures and less ordered structures as RS granules could be easily separated into different parts by large amount of CVS with larger granule sizes, and RS with more short chains tended to be cross-linked with RS during retrogradation. With increasing CVS substitution level, the estimated glycemic index (eGI) of rice noodles decreased and then tended to be stable. Therefore, appropriate CVS substitution could improve the texture quality of rice noodles and reduce the eGI value, and the best substitution level was 20 %.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Root and Leaf Transcript Profiles Reveals the Coordinated Mechanisms in Response to Salinity Stress in Common Vetch.

Owing to its strong environmental suitability to adverse abiotic stress conditions, common vetch (Vicia sativa) is grown worldwide for both forage and green manure purposes and is an important protein source for human consumption and livestock feed. The germination of common vetch seeds and growth of seedlings are severely affected by salinity stress, and the response of common vetch to salinity stress at the molecular level is still poorly understood. In this study, we report the first comparative transcriptomic analysis of the leaves and roots of common vetch under salinity stress. A total of 6361 differentially expressed genes were identified in leaves and roots. In the roots, the stress response was dominated by genes involved in peroxidase activity. However, the genes in leaves focused mainly on Ca2+ transport. Overexpression of six salinity-inducible transcription factors in yeast further confirmed their biological functions in the salinity stress response. Our study provides the most comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of common vetch leaf and root responses to salinity stress. Our findings broaden the knowledge of the common and distinct intrinsic molecular mechanisms within the leaves and roots of common vetch and could help to develop common vetch cultivars with high salinity tolerance.

Physicochemical, structural and functional properties of protein isolates and major protein fractions from common vetch (Vicia sativa L.).

Common vetch (CV), a leguminous crop cultivated for green manure and fodder rich in protein and starch, is widespread over much area of the northern hemisphere. Its seeds can be used as a protein source to human consumption. CV protein isolates (CVPI) and major protein fractions (CV albumin protein, CVAP; CV globulin protein, CVGP; CV glutelin protein, CVGTP) from 4 samples were investigated the properties to facilitate full use of protein resources. Protein comprises 27.70 %-32.14 % of the dry CV seed weight, which is mainly composed by CVAP (26.79 %-56.12 %) and CVGP (22.78 %-52.42 %). CVPI, CVAP and CVGP mainly presented 7S and 11S components. CVGTP mainly contained the 11S component. They showed difference in thermal properties and surface hydrophobicity. Circular dichroism data showed that α-helix was their major secondary structure. CVPI and major protein fractions exhibited a U-shape protein solubility. CVPI and CVAP had advantages in emulsifying and foaming properties. This study provided novel insights on unexploited sources of CV proteins with interesting characteristics in terms of potential uses as protein-based foods.

Integrative Analyses of Transcriptomes and Metabolomes Reveal Associated Genes and Metabolites with Flowering Regulation in Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.).

As an important source of protein for livestock and human consumption, Vicia sativa is cultivated worldwide, but its seed production is hampered at high altitudes because of the short frost-free period. Flowering represents the transition from a vegetative to a reproductive period, and early flowering benefits plant seed production at high altitudes. However, the molecular mechanisms of flowering regulation in V. sativa remain elusive. In the present study, two V. sativa accessions with different flowering characteristics were used: Lan3 (early-flowering) was cultivated by our laboratory, and 503 (late-flowering) was selected from 222 V. sativa accessions after three years of field experiments. The shoot samples (shoot tip length = 10 cm) of these two accessions were collected 63, 70, and 77 days after sowing, and the molecular regulatory mechanism of the flowering process was identified by integrative analyses of the transcriptomes and metabolomes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment showed that the synthesis and signal transduction of plant hormone pathways were the most enriched pathways in 4274 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and in 259 differential metabolites between Lan3 and 503. Moreover, the contents of three metabolites related to salicylic acid biosynthesis and the transcription levels of two DEGs related to salicylic acid signal transduction in Lan3 were higher than those in 503. Further verification in various accessions indicated that salicylic acid metabolism may be involved in the flowering regulation process of V. sativa. These findings provide valuable information for understanding the flowering mechanism and for promoting breeding research in V. sativa.

Ectopic expression γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase of Vicia sativa increased cadmium tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Glutathione (GSH) is a multifunctional essential biothiol, and its metabolism is important for plant against toxic metals and metalloids. γ-Glutamylcysteine (γ-EC), which is catalyzed by γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-ECS), is a rate-limiting intermediate in GSH synthesis. Here, a γ-ECS gene (Vsγ-ECS) from Vicia sativa was cloned, and its function in modulating Cd tolerance was studied. Vsγ-ECS is a chloroplast localization protein, and the expression of Vsγ-ECS was upregulated by Cd stress in root of V. sativa. Heterologous expression of Vsγ-ECS (35S::Vsγ-ECS) in Arabidopsis enhanced the Cd tolerance of plants through improved primary root length, fresh weight, chlorophyll content and low degree of oxidation associated with reduced H2O2 and lipid peroxidation. However, the Cd accumulation of Arabidopsis had no effect on Vsγ-ECS overexpression. Further analysis showed that the increased Cd tolerance in 35S::Vsγ-ECS was mainly due to the capacity of increasing GSH synthesis that improved Cd chelation by GSH and phytochelatins (PCs) and alleviated the oxidative stress caused by Cd stress. In summary, a γ-ECS was characterized from V. sativa, and it demonstrated a property for increasing GSH and PC synthesis to protect plants from Cd poisoning.

Transcriptome and Coexpression Network Analyses Provide In-Sights into the Molecular Mechanisms of Hydrogen Cyanide Synthesis during Seed Development in Common Vetch (Vicia sativa L.).

The common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) seed is an ideal plant-based protein food for humans, but its edible value is mainly limited by the presence of cyanogenic glycosides that hydrolyze to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and the genes that regulate HCN synthesis in common vetch are unknown. In this study, seeds from common vetch at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 days after anthesis were sampled, and the seven stages were further divided into five developmental stages, S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5, based on morphological and transcriptome analyses. A total of 16,403 differentially expressed genes were identified in the five developmental stages. The HCN contents of seeds in these five stages were determined by alkaline titration, and weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to explain the molecular regulatory mechanism of HCN synthesis in common vetch seeds. Eighteen key regulatory genes for HCN synthesis were identified, including the VsGT2, VsGT17 and CYP71A genes, as well as the VsGT1 gene family. VsGT1, VsGT2, VsGT17 and CYP71A jointly promoted HCN synthesis, from 5 to 25 days after anthesis, with VsGT1-1, VsGT1-4, VsGT1-11 and VsGT1-14 playing major roles. The HCN synthesis was mainly regulated by VsGT1, from 25 to 35 days after anthesis. As the expression level of VsGT1 decreased, the HCN content no longer increased. In-depth elucidation of seed HCN synthesis lays the foundations for breeding common vetch with low HCN content.

Genome survey sequencing of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and genetic diversity analysis of Chinese germplasm with genomic SSR markers.

BACKGROUND: Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is an annual legume with excellent suitability in cold and dry regions. Despite its great applied potential, the genomic information regarding common vetch currently remains unavailable. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, the whole genome survey of common vetch was performed using the next-generation sequencing (NGS). A total of 79.84 Gbp high quality sequence data were obtained and assembled into 3,754,145 scaffolds with an N50 length of 3556 bp. According to the K-mer analyses, the genome size, heterozygosity rate and GC content of common vetch genome were estimated to be 1568 Mbp, 0.4345 and 35%, respectively. In addition, a total of 76,810 putative simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified. Among them, dinucleotide was the most abundant SSR type (44.94%), followed by Tri- (35.82%), Tetra- (13.22%), Penta- (4.47%) and Hexanucleotide (1.54%). Furthermore, a total of 58,175 SSR primer pairs were designed and ten of them were validated in Chinese common vetch. Further analysis showed that Chinese common vetch harbored high genetic diversity and could be clustered into two main subgroups. CONCLUSION: This is the first report about the genome features of common vetch, and the information will help to design whole genome sequencing strategies. The newly identified SSRs in this study provide basic molecular markers for germplasm characterization, genetic diversity and QTL mapping studies for common vetch.

Common vetch varietal differences in hay nutritive value, ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility and performance of fattening lambs.

In some lower rainfall regions of the world (300-750 mm), common vetch (Vicia sativa L., hereafter referred to as vetch) has been shown to have yields competitive with alternate crops and provide high-quality hay for ruminant diets, but there are few studies of vetch performance as a livestock feed, or of vetch varietal differences in livestock feeding value. This study evaluated vetch varietal differences in hay nutritive value, ruminal fermentation properties, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen retention and animal performance in fattening lambs consuming a diet comprising 20% vetch. Fifty male Hu lambs with an initial BW of 17.7 ± 0.27 kg and 2-3 months of age were assigned randomly into five groups of 10 lambs, and each allocated one of five dietary treatments for 67 days (10 days of adaptation and a 57 day experimental period). All diets contained 30% maize stover, 50% concentrate, and with a different forage source (on an as-fed basis): 20% alfalfa hay (Control), 20% vetch 333A (C333A) hay, 20% vetch Lanjian No. 1 (CLJ1) hay, 20% vetch Lanjian No. 2 (CLJ2) hay, or 20% vetch Lanjian No. 3 (CLJ3) hay. Hay CLJ3 had greater contents of ash, CP, ether extract, in vitro organic matter digestibility and metabolizable energy, and lower cell wall contents (P < 0.05) than those of C333A and CLJ1 hays, but similar to the CLJ2 hay (P > 0.05). Compared to the Control diet, the CLJ2 and CLJ3 diets resulted in greater (P < 0.05) final BW, average daily gain, total tract apparent digestibility of CP and NDF, and nitrogen balance, both when expressed as g/day and relative to nitrogen intake, while animal performance when fed diets with C333A or CLJ1 diet did not differ (P > 0.05) from the Control diet. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed between dietary treatments with respect to average daily feed intake, ruminal pH, total volatile fatty acid contents and molar proportions of acetate, butyrate, valerate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate, or total tract apparent digestibility of DM, organic matter, and ADF. The feed efficiency of tested feeds ranked CLJ3 = CLJ2 > CLJ1 > Control with C333A intermediate between CLJ1 and Control. In summary, considering hay quality, nutrient digestibility and animal weight gain, performance as a ruminant feed of hays from recently released vetch cultivars Lanjian No. 2 and Lanjian No. 3 was superior to the older cultivar C333A and the alfalfa control.

Effects of cultivar and growing degree day accumulations on forage partitioning and nutritive value of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) on the Tibetan plateau.

BACKGROUND: The use of common vetch in grassland-livestock systems has expanded greatly within recent years, partly because of its value as a high-quality forage crop but also to improve the soil nitrogen availability. In-field estimation of forage yield potential and nutritional characteristics is required for providing management decision to farmers on how to optimize the management and use of common vetch forages. The aim of this work was to study changes in forage partitioning and nutritive value responses of a late-maturing and an early maturing cultivar of common vetch in a two-year study on the Tibetan Plateau. RESULTS: This study provided evidence for differential patterns of forage accumulation for common vetch with contrasting maturity over 2 years. The late-maturing cultivar exhibited greater forage yield and a lower proportion of pods, compared to the early maturing cultivar. There was a tendency towards lower forage nutritive value with the late-maturing cultivar. Regressions of nutritive value parameters of common vetch forages on growing degree days were explained by the cubic (P < 0.001) models, all with high coefficients of determination (R2 ≥ 0.792). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the late-maturing cultivar harvested at end of the pod-filling stage produces high forage yield, increasing the availability of high-quality forage for ruminants, thereby improving the self-sufficiency of farmers, in terms of forage yield and high-concentration protein. For early maturing cultivars, it may be better to harvest at the early flowering stage for better nutritive value and in part to enable a subsequent double crop of oat. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4) and salicylic acid (SA) as seed priming in Vicia faba L. and Vicia sativa L. / Fosfato de monopotássio (KH2PO4) e ácido salicílico (SA) como primagem de sementes em Vicia faba L. e Vicia sativa L.

The first experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of seed priming on germination behavior and seedling establishment in Vicia faba and Vicia sativa, for that, seeds priming was done using SA (100 µM) and KH2PO4. In order to determine the optimal concentration of KH2PO4 for improving germination, different concentrations were used: 25 µM, 50 µM, and 100 µM. The best germination behavior and seedling establishment were obtained with 25 and 50 µM KH2PO4, respectively for Vicia faba and Vicia sativa. Moreover, data showed that 100 µM of SA improved seed germination as well as the seedling establishment for both species. The second experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of seed priming for improving phosphorous (P) deficiency tolerance. To do, seedling obtained from primed and nonprimed seeds were grown in a hydroponic culture system with three different treatments: control (C, medium containing sufficient P concentration: 360 µM KH2PO4), direct phosphorus-deficient (DD, medium containing only 10 µM KH2PO4), and induced P deficiency by bicarbonate (ID, medium containing sufficient P concentration: 360 µM KH2PO4 + 0.5 g L-1 CaCO3 + 10 mM NaHCO3). Furthermore, the role of exogenous SA applied to P deficiency tolerance enhancement was explored. Seed priming or the exogenous application of SA significantly reduced the severity effect of P deficiency. In fact, the pretreated plants were observed more tolerant to P deficiency as reflected from the significant increase in plant biomass, P uptake, and an efficient antioxidant system. Overall, this paper highlights the beneficial effect of seeds priming or the exogenous application of SA in the improvement of plant tolerance to phosphorus deficiency.

A deficiência de fósforo (P) é um fator ambiental adverso comum que limita a produção agrícola em todo o mundo. Este estudo é uma avaliação do efeito benéfico da técnica de priming de sementes para tolerância à deficiência de P em Vicia faba e Vicia sativa. Para avaliar o impacto do condicionamento das sementes no comportamento germinativo de Vicia faba e Vicia sativa, suas sementes foram imersas em diferentes concentrações de KH2PO4 (25 µM, 50 µM e 100 µM) e em 100 µM de ácido salicílico (SA) por 24 h. Os resultados obtidos definiram KH2PO4 50 µM (para Vicia sativa) e KH2PO4 25 µM (para Vicia faba) como as concentrações ótimas que garantem uma melhor germinação das sementes. Além disso, os dados mostraram que a SA melhora a germinação de sementes e o estabelecimento de mudas. Posteriormente, para investigar a contribuição dessa técnica no aumento da tolerância à deficiência de P, sementes preparadas e não preparadas foram cultivadas em solução hidropônica com três tratamentos diferentes: controle (C, meio contendo concentração suficiente de P: KH2PO4 360 µM), deficiente em fósforo direto (DD, meio contendo apenas 10 µM de KH2PO4) e deficiência induzida de P por bicarbonato (ID, meio contendo concentração suficiente de P: 360 µM de KH2PO4 + 0,5 g l-1 de CaCO3 + 10 mM de NaHCO3). Além disso, o papel da SA exógeno aplicada no aumento da tolerância à deficiência de P foi explorado. A preparação das sementes ou a aplicação exógena de SA reduziu significativamente o efeito da severidade da deficiência de P. De fato, as plantas pré-tratadas foram observadas mais tolerantes à deficiência de P, refletidas no aumento significativo da biomassa da planta, na absorção de P e em um eficiente sistema antioxidante. No geral, este artigo destaca o efeito benéfico da priming de sementes ou a aplicação exógena de SA na melhoria da tolerância das plantas à deficiência de fósforo.

Effects of oat hay and leguminous forage mixture feeding on enteric methane emission, energy utilization, and feed conversion efficiency in male crossbred Simmental beef cattle.

Dietary manipulation has the potential to mitigate methane (CH4 ) emission and to maintain or enhance livestock productivity. We conducted two experiments to investigate the effects of replacing oat hay by leguminous forages (alfalfa hay [AH], 0, 8, 16, and 24%, experiment 1; common vetch hay [CVH], 0, 10, 20, and 30%, experiment 2) on energy metabolism of crossbred Simmental cattle. In experiment 1, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations increased quadratically with increasing AH proportions (p = .006) with a forage-to-concentrate ratio of approximately 50:50, whereas the CH4 energy to gross energy intake ratio (CH4 -E:GEI) was significantly lower with 16% AH compared with 24% AH diet (p < .05). In experiment 2, there were no differences in the total VFA concentrations among the four diet groups with a forage-to-concentrate ratio of around 60:40 (p > .05); however, CH4 -E:GEI was significantly lower in the 30% CVH diet compared with the 10% CVH diet (p < .05). There was no significant difference in feed conversion efficiency among the four diet groups in each experiment. The results suggest that substituting 16 and 30% oat hay by AH and CVH provide optimal diets with forage-to-concentrate ratios of 50:50 and 60:40, respectively, which may reduce CH4 emission without compromising the feed conversion efficiency of crossbred Simmental cattle.

The root iron transporter 1 governs cadmium uptake in Vicia sativa roots.

Cadmium is a non-essential element for plants and that inhibits plant growth and development. The Zhangye Mawan (ZM) variety of Vicia sativa is more sensitive to Cd toxicity than that Lanjian 3# (L3) variety, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that ZM showed higher Cd accumulation than L3 based on root Cd content and Cd fluorescence intensity in root protoplasts. VsRIT1, a member of the ZIP (ZRT/IRT-like protein) family, showed expression levels in ZM roots 8-fold higher than those in L3 roots under Cd exposure. VsRIT1 expression increased Cd transport and accumulation in Arabidopsis and yeast. These suggests that VsRIT1 participates in Cd uptake by V. sativa roots. Furthermore, ZM root tips have a higher capacity for transient Cd influx than L3 roots when exposed to Cd alone or Cd and iron (Fe) together, owing to the higher VsRIT1 expression in ZM. Our findings also imply that Cd may compete with Fe or/and zinc (Zn) for uptake via VsRIT1 in V. sativa or yeast.

Coordinated mechanisms of leaves and roots in response to drought stress underlying full-length transcriptome profiling in Vicia sativa L.

BACKGROUND: Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is an important self-pollinating annual forage legume and is of interest for drought prone regions as a protein source to feed livestock and human consumption. However, the development and production of common vetch are negatively affected by drought stress. Plants have evolved common or distinct metabolic pathways between the aboveground and underground in response to drought stress. Little is known regarding the coordinated response of aboveground and underground tissues of common vetch to drought stress. RESULTS: Our results showed that a total of 30,427 full-length transcripts were identified in 12 samples, with an average length of 2278.89 bp. Global transcriptional profiles of the above 12 samples were then analysed via Illumina-Seq. A total of 3464 and 3062 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the leaves and roots, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses identified that the dehydrin genes and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase were induced for the biosynthesis of proline and water conservation. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis results indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism, and various drought response candidate genes were also identified. Abscisic acid (ABA; the AREB/ABF-SnRK2 pathway) regulates the activity of AMY3 and BAM1 to induce starch degradation in leaves and increase carbon export to roots, which may be associated with the drought stress responses in common vetch. Among the co-induced transcription factors (TFs), AREB/ABF, bHLH, MYB, WRKY, and AP2/ERF had divergent expression patterns and may be key in the crosstalk between leaves and roots during adaption to drought stress. In transgenic yeast, the overexpression of four TFs increased yeast tolerance to osmotic stresses. CONCLUSION: The multipronged approach identified in the leaves and roots broadens our understanding of the coordinated mechanisms of drought response in common vetch, and further provides targets to improve drought resistance through genetic engineering.

Molecular bases for drought tolerance in common vetch: designing new molecular breeding tools.

BACKGROUND: Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a forage grain legume of high protein content and high nitrogen fixation, relevant in sustainable agriculture systems. Drought is the main limiting factor of this crop yield. Genetic resources collections are essential to provide genetic variability for breeding. The analysis of drought associated parameters has allowed us to identify drought tolerant and sensitive ecotypes in a vetch core collection. RESULTS: To understand the mechanisms involved in drought response we analysed transcriptomic differences between tolerant and sensitive accessions. Polymorphic variants (SNPs and SSRs) in these differential expressed genes (DEGs) have also been analysed for the design of drought-associated markers. A total of 1332 transcripts were commonly deregulated in both genotypes under drought. To know the drought adaptive response, we also analysed DEGs between accessions. A total of 2646 transcripts are DEG between sensitive and tolerant ecotypes, in watered and drought conditions, including important genes involved in redox homeostasis, cell wall modifications and stress-response. The integration of this functional and genetic information will contribute to understand the molecular mechanisms of drought response and the adaptive mechanisms of drought tolerance in common vetch. The identification of polymorphic variants in these DEGs has also been screened for the design of drought-associated markers that could be used in future breeding program strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies shed light for the first time in common vetch about the genes and pathways associated with drought tolerance. In addition, we identify over 100 potential drought associated polymorphism, as SNPs or SSRs, which are differently present in drought and tolerant genotypes. The use of these molecular markers for trait prediction would enable the development of genomic tools for future engineering strategies by screening of germplasm crop collections for traits related with crop drought resilience, adaptability or yield in vetch.