Publications by authors named "Agustina Bernal-Vicente"

The emerging lettuce big-vein disease (LBVD) is causing losses in lettuce production ranging from 30 to 70% worldwide. Several studies have associated this disease with Mirafiori lettuce big-vein virus (MiLBVV) alone or in mixed infection with lettuce big-vein associated virus (LBVaV). We used Illumina small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) to identify viruses present in symptomatic lettuce plants from commercial fields in Southern Spain.

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Salinity is considered as one of the most important abiotic challenges that affect crop productivity. Plant hormones, including salicylic acid (SA), are key factors in the defence signalling output triggered during plant responses against environmental stresses. We have previously reported in peach a new SA biosynthetic pathway from mandelonitrile (MD), the molecule at the hub of the cyanogenic glucoside turnover in sp.

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This study looks at the effects of potassium nitrate (KNO) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO)-donor, on the development, antioxidant defences and on the abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) levels in pea seedlings. Results show that 10 mM KNO and 50 μM SNP stimulate seedling fresh weight (FW), although this effect is not reverted by the action of 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO), a NO-scavenger. The KNO treatment increased peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate oxidase (AOX) activities.

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Despite the long-established importance of salicylic acid (SA) in plant stress responses and other biological processes, its biosynthetic pathways have not been fully characterized. The proposed synthesis of SA originates from chorismate by two distinct pathways: the isochorismate and phenylalanine (Phe) ammonia-lyase (PAL) pathways. Cyanogenesis is the process related to the release of hydrogen cyanide from endogenous cyanogenic glycosides (CNglcs), and it has been linked to plant plasticity improvement.

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In order to cope with challenges linked to climate change such as salinity, plants must develop a wide spectrum of physiological and molecular mechanisms to rapidly adapt. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plants are a case in point. According to our findings, salt stress has no significant effect on plant growth in these plants, which accumulate sodium (Na) in their roots, thus avoiding excessive Na accumulation in leaves.

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Background: Compost is emerging as an alternative plant growing medium in efforts to achieve more sustainable agriculture. The addition of specific microorganisms such as Trichoderma harzianum to plant growth substrates increases yields and reduces plant diseases, but the mechanisms of such biostimulants and the biocontrol effects are not yet fully understood. In this work we investigated how the addition of citrus and vineyard composts, either alone or in combination with T.

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