Plants respond to various stresses by expressing distinct sets of genes. The effects of multiple stresses on plants and their interactions are not well understood. We have discovered that salt stress causes the accumulation of proteinase inhibitors and the activation of other wound-related genes in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plants. Salt stress was also found to enhance the plant's respon...

Recent advances at the molecular level are introducing a new scenario that needs to be integrated into the analysis of plant hydraulic properties. Although it is not yet clear to what extent this scenario alters the current proposal for the hydraulic circuit models, it introduces new insights when studying plants that are able to easily overcome water restrictions. In this context, our aim was ...

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. plants shift the mode of carbon assimilation from C(3) to Crassulacean acid metabolism when stressed by high salinity. A prerequisite for Crassulacean acid metabolism induction is the synthesis of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase). A moderate increase in the abundance of PEPCase transcripts and activity is observed in 7-week-old, well-watered plants. Thi...

Understanding salt stress signaling is key to producing salt-tolerant crops. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a crucial regulator of signaling proteins in eukaryotes. Attachment of SUMO onto substrates is reversible, and SUMO proteases, which specifically cleave the SUMO-substrate linkages, play a vital regulatory role during SUMOylation. We have identified two SUMO proteases, OVERLY...

The effects of water potential on the cellular compositions of a soil bacterium and a fungus were examined by growing the organisms in media with various KCl concentrations. In media containing up to 1 M KCl, C/N ratios in Aspergillus flavus increased significantly, while those for a Pseudomonas sp. did not. For both organisms, the proportions of cellular C and N in cytoplasm increased by a fac...

Disturbances and environmental change are important factors determining the diversity, composition, and functioning of communities. However, knowledge about how natural bacterial communities are affected by such perturbations is still sparse. We performed a whole ecosystem manipulation experiment with freshwater rock pools where we applied salinity disturbances of different intensities. The aim...