A dual-omics approach for profiling plant responses to biostimulant applications under controlled and field conditions

Abstract

A comprehensive approach using phenomics and global transcriptomics for dissecting plant response to biostimulants is illustrated with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom and Rio Grande) plants cultivated in the laboratory, greenhouse, and open field conditions. Biostimulant treatment based on an Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) was applied as a foliar spray with two doses (1 or 2 l ha-1) at three different phenological stages (BBCH51, BBCH61, and BBCH65) during the flowering phase. Both ANE doses resulted in greater net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and fruit yield across all culture conditions. A global transcriptomic analysis of leaves from plants grown in the climate chamber, revealed a greater number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with the low ANE dose compared to the greater one. The second and third applications induced broader transcriptome changes compared to the first one, indicating a cumulative treatment effect. The functional enrichment analysis of DEGs highlighted pathways related to stimulus-response and photosynthesis, consistent with the morpho-physiological observations. This study is the first comprehensive dual-omics approach for profiling plant responses to biostimulants across three different culture conditions.

Transcriptomic and physiological approaches to decipher cold stress mitigation exerted by brown-seaweed extract application in tomato

“…Measurements were taken prior cold stress application and 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after. The BSE treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased both parameters ( Figure 1 ), and this is consistent with previous report ( Baghdadi et al., 2022 ). At the end of the treatment, the stomatal conductance increased by 69.6% and 73.8% ( Figure 1A ), and the net photosynthesis by 26.1% and 37.0% ( Figure 1B ) between untreated and BSE-treated plants in control and cold stress conditions, respectively.…”

“…These two parameters are tightly correlated since stomata pores control plant-environment gas exchanges and thus, CO 2 uptake for photosynthesis ( Wong et al., 1979 ; Damour et al., 2010 ). Under control and cold conditions, the BSE treatment increased both stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis ( Figures 1A, B ), as previously reported ( Baghdadi et al., 2022 ). This increase in physiological activity may explain the improved yield shown by treated tomato plants, even under cold stress.…”

“…Stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis were measured on the youngest fully expanded leaf of six plants per experimental condition, using an infrared gas analyzer (CIRAS 3 PP Systems, Amesbury, MA, USA) as described in Baghdadi et al (2022). Measurements were done before the cold exposure and after 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h.…”

Mini-Review: brown macroalgae as a promising raw material to produce biostimulants for the agriculture sector

“…Nutrient uptake and transport enhancement -Upregulation of calcium (CAX3, CAX7, ACA1), copper (COPT2), iron (NRAMP3), potassium (HKT2;1), sodium (NHX2), nitrate (NRT1.1, NRT2.1, NRT1.5), sulphate (SULTR1, SULTR3, AST56), amino acids (LHT1, AAP5), peptides (ATOPT3), nucleotides (ATPUP10), nucleotides-sugars derivatives (UTR2, UTR3), sugars (MSS1) transporter genes -Upregulation of glutamine synthetase (GS1) gene -Upregulation of nitrite reductase (NR) gene Fan et al, 2013;Jannin et al, 2013;Billard et al, 2014;Goñi et al, 2016;Goñi et al, 2018;Shukla et al, 2018a;Dell'Aversana et al, 2021;Goñi et al, 2021 Water uptake improvement -Upregulation of transmembrane protein aquaporins (PIP1;2, PIP2;2, PIP2;3) genes Santaniello et al, 2017;Al-Ghamdi and Elansary, 2018;Rasul et al, 2021 Soil and plant microbiome structure and activity improvement -Upregulation of cellulase, dehydrogenase, inverterase, nitrite reductase, phosphatase, proteinase and urease genes Eyras et al, 1998;Wang et al, 2016 Seed germination improvement -Upregulation of a-amylase enzyme genes by gibberellin A3 signalling Akazawa and Hara-Nishimura, 1985;Beck and Ziegler, 1989;Sun and Gubler, 2004;Rayorath et al, 2008b Growth and development parameters enhancement -Modulation of the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways -Upregulation of cellulose synthase-like E1 (CSLE1), UDP-glucose 4-epimerase 1 (UGE1), pectin acetylesterase 8 (PAE8) genes -Upregulation of growth hormones auxin (IAA), cytokinin (IPT), gibberellin (GA2Ox) biosynthesis genes -Upregulation of FLOWERING TIME (FT), CLAVATA (CLV), SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING-LIKE (SPL) genes -Upregulation of Single Flower Truss (SFT), Self-Pruning (SP), Jointless (J), Anantha (AN), Falsiflora (FA) and Constans-1 (CO) genes Wally et al, 2013;Goñi et al, 2016;Ali et al, 2019;Ali et al, 2021b;Dookie et al, 2021;Baghdadi et al, 2022 Photosynthesis enhancement -Upregulation of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase and choline monooxygenase genes -Upregulation of glycine betaine biosynthesis genes -Downregulation of chlorophyll degradation (AtCLH1 and AtCLH2) genes Genard et al, 1991;…”

Plant biostimulants as natural alternatives to synthetic auxins in strawberry production: physiological and metabolic insights

“…Omics studies, encompassing transcriptomics and metabolomics among other powerful techniques, play a pivotal role in unravelling the molecular mechanisms underlying biostimulation, providing invaluable information into the regulatory networks and metabolic pathways involved into the plant response, respectively. For example, transcriptomics has been employed to decipher global gene expression patterns, uncovering the molecular mechanisms modulated by biostimulants in enhancing plant growth, development, and/or stress tolerance ( González-Morales et al., 2021 ; Ali et al., 2022 ; Baghdadi et al., 2022 ). Metabolomics has been employed to comprehensively analyze and identify variations relative to small metabolites, offering insights into the metabolic processes, pathways, and biochemical changes occurring in response to plant biostimulants ( Lucini et al., 2015 ; Bonini et al., 2020a ).…”