https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/ Crop Biotechnology en daily 1 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_13103.html This study was conducted to investigate the effect of cryopreservation on the genetic and physiological stability of two potato cultivars (Arinda and Sante) at two developmental stages (regenerated plantlets and first-generation plants). Virus-free plantlets were first established under in vitro conditions and then subjected to two treatments: (1) in vitro maintenance and (2) cryopreservation using the encapsulation-dehydration technique. After recovery and multiplication, a subset of the samples was analyzed at the plantlet stage for molecular evaluation, while the remaining ones were transferred to the greenhouse to produce minitubers and subsequently assessed in the first generation. Following pot cultivation of the minitubers, samples were collected for molecular analyses. Genetic assessment was carried out using 15 pairs of microsatellite markers under a completely randomized design with three replications (10 plants per replicate) at both stages. The results showed no significant genetic variation between plantlets and first-generation plants derived from the two storage methods. Furthermore, physiological evaluations, including survival rate, vegetative growth, and minituber quality, revealed no meaningful differences between treatments. These findings demonstrate that cryopreservation not only maintains genetic fidelity but also does not adversely affect plant performance or reproductive capacity. Overall, the results confirm that cryopreservation using encapsulation-dehydration is a safe and reliable approach for the long-term conservation of potato germplasm without inducing detectable genetic or physiological alterations. This strategy may play a valuable role in breeding programs, germplasm banks, and the large-scale production of virus-free seed potatoes. https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_13107.html Drought stress is one of the major limiting factors in agricultural crop production, affecting plant physiological processes at various levels. One of the most important plant responses to drought stress is the alteration in protein expression, which depends on physicochemical properties such as half-life, stability index, isoelectric point, molecular weight, and extinction coefficient. Additionally, identifying motifs, patterns, and protein domains enables the prediction of structural and functional changes. In this study, 18 drought-related proteins were selected based on previous proteomic research and analyzed using bioinformatics tools. Physicochemical properties were assessed using ProtParam, domains were identified with InterProScan and CDD, potential post-translational modification patterns were evaluated using ScanProsite, sequence similarity was determined via BLAST, and conserved blocks were identified through multiple sequence alignment using T-Coffee. Results showed that 16 proteins had a half-life of more than 20 hours, their molecular weights ranged from 13 to 70 kDa, and 14 proteins had a stability index below 40, indicating they were predicted to be stable. Further analysis of α-tubulin and elongation factor Tu revealed that α-tubulin is a component of microtubules and plays a key role in cell growth. This protein contains TUBULINBAUTOREG and TUBULIN motifs and Alpha-tubulin and PLN00221 domains. Elongation factor Tu includes GTR1 and GTR2 motifs and four domains: EF-Tu, EFTU-II, EFTU-III, and PLN03127. Protein similarity analysis indicated that sequences with 30% to 70% similarity can contribute to a better understanding of protein structure and function. https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_13162.html This review examines the profound impact of drought stress on global wheat production, with particular emphasis on its detrimental effects on plant growth, grain filling, and final yield, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Meeting future food demand will require an approximately 70% increase in wheat productivity by 2050, a target increasingly challenged by the rapid depletion of freshwater resources. Enhancing drought tolerance is therefore critical to maintaining yield stability and crop resilience under changing climatic conditions. This paper synthesizes current knowledge on the molecular and genetic mechanisms activated in wheat during water deficit, encompassing stress perception, signal transduction, and the downstream regulation of adaptive responses. Special attention is devoted to major transcription factor (TF) families, including WRKY, MYB, NAC, and AP2/ERF (DREB), which serve as key regulators of drought-responsive gene networks. These TFs orchestrate multiple physiological and developmental adaptations, such as stomatal regulation, osmotic adjustment via the accumulation of compatible solutes (e.g., proline and soluble sugars), enhanced antioxidant defenses to mitigate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and root/shoot modifications that optimize water uptake and conservation. Furthermore, we discuss how insights into these regulatory pathways can be leveraged in modern breeding programs through the prioritization of candidate genes and molecular markers for marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and precision genome editing. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of TF-mediated drought responses will accelerate the development of resilient wheat cultivars, safeguarding sustainable production and global food security in water-limited environments. https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_13204.html Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a major Solanaceae crop, is sensitive to drought and osmotic stress. Enhancing tolerance via genetic transformation is promising for sustainable production. This study examined two cultivars, CH and Rio Grande, optimizing in vitro regeneration and introducing the spinach betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) gene, which aids glycine betaine biosynthesis, an osmoprotectant. Cotyledonary and hypocotyl explants from 10-day-old seedlings were cultured with varying benzyl adenine (BA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) concentrations. In CH, cotyledons showed 96.26% regeneration and hypocotyls 92.53% on 3 mg l-1 BA with 0.1 mg l-1 IAA. Rio Grande had 73.0% regeneration in cotyledons at 2.5 mg l-1 BA + 0.1 mg l-1 IAA and 66.6% in hypocotyls at 3 mg l-1 BA. Cotyledons produced more shoots consistently. Shoot multiplication improved with gibberellic acid (GA3) + IAA; 3 mg l-1 GA3 and 0.1 mg l-1 IAA yielded 6.67 and 6.33 shoots per cotyledon explant in CH and Rio Grande, respectively. Agrobacterium tumefaciens carrying pRI201-AN with BADH infected cotyledons for 30 seconds, followed by 48-hour dark co-cultivation at 28°C with 40 mg l-1 acetosyringone, maximizing transformation. PCR confirmed a 1668 bp BADH transgene band in resistant plants. Under mannitol-induced osmotic stress at –6 bar, controls showed chlorosis and death, while transgenic plants survived and grew, demonstrating enhanced osmotic tolerance. This study shows optimized regeneration and BADH gene transfer improved tomato osmotic stress tolerance, supporting BADH's role in breeding stress-resilient tomatoes. https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_13108.html Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important agricultural crop that is affected by fungal diseases that reduce yield and quality of its product. In this study, transcriptomic changes in tomato affected by different fungi were investigated to identify key genes related to resistance and fruit ripening process. In this study, transcriptomic data of fungal infected tomato fruits were obtained from databases and differentially expressed genes and related transcription factors were identified. Also, the characteristics of key genes were investigated using bioinformatics tools. Results showed different effect of fungi on tomato gene expression and showed the highest transcriptomic changes under Colletotrichum gloeosporioides infection. Data analysis identified 56 common genes between fungal treatments that played a role in pathways related to disease resistance and fruit ripening regulation. Also, six key genes were identified as potential factors in the regulation of fruit ripening under the influence of fungi. The promoter analysis of these genes showed that most of them comprised regulatory elements related to the response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Also, the presence of hormonal elements related to ethylene, methyl jasmonate and abscisic acid indicates that these genes can be regulated by hormonal pathways related to fruit ripening and the response to fungi. The results of this study showed that similar regulatory mechanisms are activated in response to fungal stress and the ripening process, which can be effective in developing breeding strategies to improve tomato resistance to fungal diseases and control fruit ripening. https://cropbiotech.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_12997.html Climate change is a major challenge with widespread impacts including biotic and abiotic stresses. Increasing temperatures, decreasing precipitation, and drought exert pressure on water resources, soil, and vegetation, leading to reduced yields, especially in two group cereals. It is crucial to utilize novel strategies to mitigate these impacts, especially yield reduction. One of these strategies is the use of biological growth promoters such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) such as Streptomyces spp. These bacteria enhance plant growth and resistance through direct and indirect mechanisms. C3 and C4 cereals respond to growth-promoting bacteria in a similar manner despite different photosynthetic mechanisms. Inoculation with Streptomyces modulates the plant’s physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes, resulting in improved water and nutrient uptake, increased growth and yield, enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes, and accumulation of osmolytes. It also modulates the expression of genes related to growth hormones and specific plant metabolites. The role of growth-promoting strains of Streptomyces in conditions of abiotic stresses (drought and salinity) and biotic stresses (pests and diseases) by antioxidant enzymes production, the secretion of antimicrobial compounds such as antibiotics and siderophores, activation of plant defense pathways and the production of secondary metabolites including volatile organic compounds, phytohormones such as Indole Acetic Acid improve plant growth and protect against environmental stresses. Investigation of these mechanisms in two groups of C3 and C4 cereals cereal will provide a deeper understanding of the role of Streptomyces in ensuring food security and its use as a beneficial growth promoter