Abstract
Under changing climates, engineering drought-resistant crops is critical for reducing food insecurity. Here, we leverage plant "stress memory" and ROS-generating silica nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance the drought tolerance of cucumber plants. Under PEG-mimicking drought conditions, cucumber seeds primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h) exhibited an increased seed germination rate (from 66.7 to 80.0%), enhanced seedling vigor (59.3%), and improved root and shoot length (24.4 and 74.1%, respectively) compared to seeds primed with water. In contrast, silicic acid and traditional silicon fertilizers at the same dose did not show priming effects, indicating that the released Si did not contribute to the observed outcomes. Metabolomics reveals that silica seed priming accelerated the mobilization of seed-stored reserves. Vegetative tissues also exhibit enhanced drought resistance, and metabolomics analysis reveals that the drought resistance strategy involves the upregulation of sugars (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, maltose; 34.7-74.8%), amino acids (methionine, 6-fold), signaling molecules (salicylic acid, 2.5-fold), and antioxidants (ascorbic acid, 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, ferulic acid, P-coumaric acid; 16.0-83.8%). Transcriptomics analysis reveals that several drought- and even desiccation-tolerant associated genes exert more pronounced transcript changes in silica-primed leaves. The life cycle study shows that silica seed priming does not generate any yield penalty or compromise the nutritional quality of the fruits. Importantly, offspring seeds exhibit enhanced vigor and drought tolerance, indicating the transgenerational transmission of the acquired drought resilience. The findings of this study provide a promising approach for engineering crops that are resilient to climate change.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
Fumed silica nanoparticle priming raised cucumber germination from 66.7 to 80.0% under PEG simulated drought.
- Taxon
- cucumber
Cucumis sativuse0 - Organ / stage
- seedse0
- Treatment
- primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h)e0
- Outcome
- seed germination ratee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- from 66.7 to 80.0%e0
- Qualifier
- Under PEG-mimicking drought conditionse0
- Comparator
- seeds primed with watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Under PEG-mimicking drought conditions, cucumber seeds primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h) exhibited an increased seed germination rate (from 66.7 to 80.0%), enhanced seedling vigor (59.3%), and improved root and shoot length (24.4 and 74.1%, respectively) compared to seeds primed with water.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica nanoparticle priming enhanced cucumber seedling vigor by 59.3% under simulated drought.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativuse0
- Treatment
- primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h)e0
- Outcome
- seedling vigore0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 59.3%e0
- Qualifier
- Under PEG-mimicking drought conditionse0
- Comparator
- seeds primed with watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Under PEG-mimicking drought conditions, cucumber seeds primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h) exhibited an increased seed germination rate (from 66.7 to 80.0%), enhanced seedling vigor (59.3%), and improved root and shoot length (24.4 and 74.1%, respectively) compared to seeds primed with water.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica nanoparticle priming improved cucumber root length by 24.4% under simulated drought.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativuse0
- Treatment
- primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h)e0
- Outcome
- root and shoot lengthe0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 24.4e0
- Qualifier
- Under PEG-mimicking drought conditionse0
- Comparator
- seeds primed with watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Under PEG-mimicking drought conditions, cucumber seeds primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h) exhibited an increased seed germination rate (from 66.7 to 80.0%), enhanced seedling vigor (59.3%), and improved root and shoot length (24.4 and 74.1%, respectively) compared to seeds primed with water.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica nanoparticle priming improved cucumber shoot length by 74.1% under simulated drought.
- Taxon
- cucumberCucumis sativuse0
- Treatment
- primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h)e0
- Outcome
- shoot lengthe0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 74.1%e0
- Qualifier
- Under PEG-mimicking drought conditionse0
- Comparator
- seeds primed with watere0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Under PEG-mimicking drought conditions, cucumber seeds primed with fumed silica NPs (40 mg/L, 4 h) exhibited an increased seed germination rate (from 66.7 to 80.0%), enhanced seedling vigor (59.3%), and improved root and shoot length (24.4 and 74.1%, respectively) compared to seeds primed with water.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silicic acid at the same dose did not show a cucumber seed priming effect.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- silicic acide0
- Outcome
- priming effectse0
- Direction
- did not showe0
- Qualifier
- at the same dosee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“In contrast, silicic acid and traditional silicon fertilizers at the same dose did not show priming effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional silicon fertilizers at the same dose did not show a cucumber seed priming effect.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- traditional silicon fertilizerse0
- Outcome
- priming effectse0
- Direction
- did not showe0
- Qualifier
- at the same dosee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“In contrast, silicic acid and traditional silicon fertilizers at the same dose did not show priming effects”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica seed priming accelerated mobilization of stored reserves in cucumber seeds.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Organ / stage
- seede0
- Treatment
- silica seed priminge0
- Outcome
- mobilization of seed-stored reservese0
- Direction
- acceleratede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Metabolomics reveals that silica seed priming accelerated the mobilization of seed-stored reserves.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica primed cucumber vegetative tissues had enhanced drought resistance.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Organ / stage
- Vegetative tissuese0
- Treatment
- silica seed priminge1
- Outcome
- drought resistancee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Vegetative tissues also exhibit enhanced drought resistance”
e1“silica seed priming accelerated the mobilization of seed-stored reserves”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica priming was associated with 34.7-74.8% upregulation of cucumber sugars.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- sugars (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, maltosee0
- Direction
- upregulatione0
- Value
- 34.7-74.8%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“the drought resistance strategy involves the upregulation of sugars (glucose, sucrose, trehalose, maltose; 34.7-74.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica priming was associated with a sixfold increase in cucumber methionine.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- amino acids (methioninee0
- Value
- 6-folde0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“amino acids (methionine, 6-fold)”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica priming was associated with a 2.5-fold increase in cucumber salicylic acid.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- signaling molecules (salicylic acide0
- Value
- 2.5-folde0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“signaling molecules (salicylic acid, 2.5-fold)”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica priming was associated with 16.0-83.8% upregulation of cucumber antioxidants.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Outcome
- antioxidants (ascorbic acid, 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, ferulic acid, P-coumaric acide0
- Value
- 16.0-83.8%e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“antioxidants (ascorbic acid, 2-hydroxycinnamic acid, ferulic acid, P-coumaric acid; 16.0-83.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Several drought and desiccation tolerance associated genes showed more pronounced transcript changes in silica primed cucumber leaves.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Gene
- drought- and even desiccation-tolerant associated genese0
- Outcome
- transcript changese0
- Direction
- more pronouncede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“Transcriptomics analysis reveals that several drought- and even desiccation-tolerant associated genes exert more pronounced transcript changes in silica-primed leaves.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica seed priming did not reduce cucumber yield.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- silica seed priminge0
- Outcome
- yield penaltye0
- Direction
- does not generatee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“The life cycle study shows that silica seed priming does not generate any yield penalty or compromise the nutritional quality of the fruits.”
Claim · model-written summary
Silica seed priming did not compromise cucumber fruit nutritional quality.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Treatment
- silica seed priminge0
- Outcome
- nutritional quality of the fruitse0
- Direction
- does not generatee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“The life cycle study shows that silica seed priming does not generate any yield penalty or compromise the nutritional quality of the fruits.”
Claim · model-written summary
Offspring seeds of silica primed cucumber showed enhanced vigor.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Organ / stage
- offspring seedse0
- Outcome
- vigore0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“offspring seeds exhibit enhanced vigor and drought tolerance”
Claim · model-written summary
Offspring seeds of silica primed cucumber showed enhanced drought tolerance.
- Taxon
- CucumberCucumis sativust0
- Organ / stage
- offspring seedse0
- Outcome
- drought tolerancee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucumber Plant”
e0“offspring seeds exhibit enhanced vigor and drought tolerance”
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