Role of cotyledons in aluminium accumulation as a tolerance strategy in Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (Polygonaceae) seedlings.

Acidic soils have increased due to agricultural practices, climate factors, and the excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers to meet food demand. In these soils, aluminium (Al) is soluble and can be taken up by roots, but it is toxic to most plant species. Fagopyrum esculentum is able to adapt to acidic toxic aluminium conditions.

Root microbiome diversity and structure of the Sonoran desert buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare L.).

Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) is an invasive plant introduced into Mexico's Sonoran desert for cattle grazing and has converted large areas of native thorn scrub. One of the invasion mechanisms buffelgrass uses to invade is allelopathy, which consists of the production and secretion of allelochemicals that exert adverse effects on other plants' growth. The plant microbiome also plays a vital role in establishing invasive plants and host growth and development.

Non-chlorophyllous and crypto-chlorophyllous fern spores differ in their mobilisation of fatty acids during priming.

During fern spore germination, lipid hydrolysis primarily provides the energy to activate their metabolism. In this research, fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic) were quantified in the spores exposed or not to priming (hydration-dehydration treatments). Five fern species were investigated, two from xerophilous shrubland and three from a cloud forest.

Squash root microbiome transplants and metagenomic inspection for in situ arid adaptations.

Arid zones contain a diverse set of microbes capable of survival under dry conditions, some of which can form relationships with plants under drought stress conditions to improve plant health. We studied squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) root microbiome under historically arid and humid sites, both in situ and performing a common garden experiment.

Metal and Metalloid Toxicity in Plants: An Overview on Molecular Aspects.

Worldwide, the effects of metal and metalloid toxicity are increasing, mainly due to anthropogenic causes. Soil contamination ranks among the most important factors, since it affects crop yield, and the metals/metalloids can enter the food chain and undergo biomagnification, having concomitant effects on human health and alterations to the environment. Plants have developed complex mechanisms to overcome these biotic and abiotic stresses during evolution.

Metagenomics of mine tailing rhizospheric communities and its selection for plant establishment towards bioremediation.

Mining operations often generate tailing dams that contain toxic residues and are a source of contamination when left unconfined. The establishment of a plant community over the tailings has been proposed as a containment strategy known as phytostabilization. Previously, we described naturally occurring mine tailing colonizing plants such as Acacia farnesiana, Brickellia coulteri, Baccharis sarothroides, and Gnaphalium leucocephalum without finding local adaptation.

Barriers for plant establishment in the abandoned tailings of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico: the influence of compost addition on seedling performance and tailing properties.

Past mining activities have left a legacy of abandoned mine tailing deposits whose metal contaminants poses serious risks to ecosystems and human health. While the development of a vegetated cover in mine tailings can help in mitigating these risks, the local factors limiting plant establishment in these sites are not well understood, restricting phytostabilization efforts. Here, we explore some of the barriers that limit seedling establishment of two species (Vachellia farnesiana and Prosopis velutina) in a mine tailing deposit located in Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, and assess whether compost addition can help in overcoming these barriers in pot and field experiments.

Fagopyrum esculentum at early stages copes with aluminum toxicity by increasing ABA levels and antioxidant system.

Aluminum toxicity (Al) is one of the main constraints for plant growth on acid soils. While most plants are sensitive to Al, some species have developed strategies to cope with this metal. Fagopyrum esculentum, Moench.

Increased maize growth and P uptake promoted by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi coincide with higher foliar herbivory and larval biomass of the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda.

Most plant species naturally associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which are known to promote crop nutrition and health in agroecosystems. However, information on how mycorrhizal associations affect plant biotic interactions that occur aboveground with foliar herbivores is limited and needs to be further addressed for the development of pest management strategies. With the objective to examine the influence of maize mycorrhizas on foliar herbivory caused by larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda, a serious pest in maize agroecosystems, we performed a fully factorial greenhouse pot experiment with three factors: Maize genotype (Puma and Milpal H318), AMF (with and without AMF, and without AMF with mineral P) and Insect herbivory (with and without S.

Ontogenic synchronization of Bephratelloides cubensis, Annona macroprophyllata seeds and acetogenins from Annonaceae.

The seeds of Annona macroprophyllata Donn. Sm. contain idioblasts with toxic acetogenins, including laherradurin and rolliniastatin-2, in relatively high proportions.

[Responses of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 symbiosystem to induced allelopathy by Ipomoea purpurea L. Roth].

Allelopathy is a phenomenon that involves the production of secondary metabolites that influence the growth of plants and microorganisms; however, this alellopathic effect has been scarcely studied on the rhizobia-legume symbiosis. The aims of this research were 1) to assess the allelopathic potential of aqueous extracts of Ipomoea purpurea L. Roth on seed germination and root length of common bean seedlings (Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Plants from the abandoned Nacozari mine tailings: evaluation of their phytostabilization potential.

Phytostabilization is a remediation technology that uses plants for in-situ stabilization of contamination in soils and mine tailings. The objective of this study was to identify native plant species with potential for phytostabilization of the abandoned mine tailings in Nacozari, Sonora in northern Mexico. A flora of 42 species in 16 families of angiosperms was recorded on the tailings site and the abundance of the most common perennial species was estimated.

Aporphine alkaloid contents increase with moderate nitrogen supply in Annona diversifolia Saff. (Annonaceae) seedlings during diurnal periods.

Aporphine alkaloids are secondary metabolites that are obtained in low levels from species of the Annonaceae family. Nitrogen addition may increase the alkaloid content in plants. However, previous studies published did not consider that nitrogen could change the alkaloid content throughout the day.

Conostegia xalapensis (Melastomataceae): an aluminum accumulator plant.

In acidic soils, an excess of Al³⁺ is toxic to most plants. The Melastomataceae family includes Al-accumulator genera that tolerate high Al³⁺ by accumulating it in their tissues. Conostegia xalapensis is a common shrub in Mexico and Central America colonizing mainly disturbed areas.

Phytotoxic effects of Sicyos deppei (Cucurbitaceae) in germinating tomato seeds.

The phytotoxic effect of allelochemicals is referred to as allelochemical stress and it is considered a biotic stress. Sicyos deppei G. Don (Cucurbitaceae) is an allelopathic weed that causes phytotoxicity in Lycopersicon esculentum, delaying seed germination and severely inhibiting radicle growth.

Allelochemical stress causes inhibition of growth and oxidative damage in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of allelochemical stress on Lycopersicon esculentum growth. Our results showed that allelochemical stress caused by Sicyos deppei aqueous leachate inhibited root growth but not germination, and produced an imbalance in the oxidative status of cells in both ungerminated seeds and in primary roots. We observed changes in activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and the plasma membrane NADPH oxidase, as well as in the levels of H(2)O(2) and O(2) (*-) in seeds at 12 and 24 h, and in primary roots at 48 and 72 h of treatment, which could account for the oxidative imbalance.

Allelochemicals from Stauranthus perforatus, a Rutaceous tree of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Aqueous leachates and a CHCl3-MeOH (1:1) extract of roots of Stauranthus perforatus showed a significant phytotoxic effect on Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Echinochloa crus-galli. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the active organic extract led to the isolation and characterization of ten secondary metabolites, which included two pyranocoumarins [xanthyletin (1) and 3-(1',1'-dimethylallyl)-xanthyletin (2)], four furanocoumarins [chalepensin (3), ammirin (4), chalepin (5) and 2'-isopropyl-psoralene (6)], two lignans [asarinin (7) and fargesin (8)], one sesquiterpene [4,5-epoxi-beta-caryophyllene (9)], and one alkamide [pellitorine (10)]. From these compounds, 2'-isopropyl-psoralene (6) or anhydromarmesin, is reported for the first time as a natural product, whereas compounds 4-10 are now reported as being present in S.

Allelochemical potential of Callicarpa acuminata.

The allelochemical potential of Callicarpa acuminata (Verbenaceae) was investigated by using a biodirected fractionation study as part of a long-term project to search for bioactive compounds among the rich biodiversity of plant communities in the Ecological Reserve El Eden, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Aqueous leachate, chloroform-methanol extract, and chromatographic fractions of the leaves of C. acuminata inhibited the root growth of test plants (23-70%).

Allelochemical stress produced by the aqueous leachate of Callicarpa acuminata: effects on roots of bean, maize, and tomato.

The in vitro effects of an aqueous leachate (1%) of Callicarpa acuminata Kunth. (Verbenaceae) on radicle growth, protein expression, catalase activity, free radical production and membrane lipid peroxidation in roots of bean, maize, and tomato were examined. Aqueous extract of C.