Tartary buckwheat is one of the nutritious minor cereals and is grown in high-cold mountainous areas of arid and semi-arid zones where drought is a common phenomenon, potentially reducing the growth and yield. Melatonin, which is an amphiphilic low molecular weight compound, has been proven to exert significant effects in plants, under abiotic stresses, but its role in the Tartary buckwheat under drought stress remains unexplored. We evaluated the influence of melatonin supplementation on plant morphology and different physiological activities, to enhance tolerance to posed drought stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alleviating lipid peroxidation. Drought stress decreased the plant growth and biomass production compared to the control. Drought also decreased Chl a, b, and the Fv/Fm ratio by 54%, 70%, and 8%, respectively, which was associated with the disorganized stomatal properties. Under drought stress, H2O2, O2•−, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased by 2.30, 2.43, and 2.22-folds, respectively, which caused oxidative stress. In contrast, proline and soluble sugar content were increased by 84% and 39%, respectively. However, exogenous melatonin (100 µM) could improve plant growth by preventing ROS-induced oxidative damage by increasing photosynthesis, enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase), secondary metabolites like phenylalanine ammonialyase, phenolics, and flavonoids, total antioxidant scavenging (free radical DPPH scavenging), and maintaining relative water content and osmoregulation substances under water stress. Therefore, our study suggested that exogenous melatonin could accelerate drought resistance by enhancing photosynthesis and antioxidant defense in Tartary buckwheat plants.

Broomcorn millet (BM), one of the earliest domesticated cereal crops originating in northern China, can tolerate extreme conditions, such as drought and high temperatures, which are prevalent in saline-alkali, arid, and barren landscapes. However, its adaptive mechanism to alkali stress is yet to be comprehensively understood. In this study, 80 and 40 mM standard alkali stress concentrations were used to, respectively, evaluate the alkali tolerance at the germination and seedling stages of 296 BM genotypes. Principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation analysis, and F-value comprehensive analysis were performed on the germination parameters (germination potential, germination index, germination rate, vigor index, root length/weight, sprout length/weight, and alkali damage rate). Based on their respective F-values, the BM genotypes were divided into five categories ranging from highly alkali resistant to alkali sensitive. To study the response of seedlings to alkaline stress, we investigated the phenotypic parameters (plant height, green leaf area, biomass, and root structure) of 111 genotypes from the above five categories. Combining the parameters of alkali tolerance at the germination and seedling stages, these 111 genotypes were further subdivided into three groups with different alkali tolerances. Variations in physiological responses of the different alkali-tolerant genotypes were further investigated for antioxidant enzyme activity, soluble substances, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, electrolyte leakage rate, and leaf structure. Compared with alkali-sensitive genotypes, alkali-tolerant genotypes had high antioxidant enzyme activity and soluble osmolyte content, low MDA content and electrolyte leakage rate, and a more complete stomata structure. Taken together, this study provides a comprehensive and reliable method for evaluating alkali tolerance and will contribute to the improvement and restoration of saline-alkaline soils by BM.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor. The effectiveness of traditional therapies for GBM is limited and therefore new therapies are highly desired. Previous studies show that lipid metabolism reprogramming may be a potential therapeutic target in GBM. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic potential of free fatty acid-induced lipotoxicity for the suppression of glioma growth. U87 glioma cells are treated with three fatty acids (FAs): palmitic acid (PA), oleic acid (OA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Uptake of the FAs and formation of lipid droplets (LDs) are imaged and quantified using a lab-built stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscope. Our results show that a supply of 200 µM PA, OA, and EPA leads to efficient LDs accumulation in glioma cells. We find that inhibition of triglycerides (TAGs) synthesis depletes LDs and enhances lipotoxicity, which is evidenced by the reduced cell proliferation rates. In particular, our results suggest that EPA treatment combined with depletion of LDs significantly reduces the survival rate of glioma cells by more than 50%, indicating the therapeutic potential of this approach. Future work will focus on understanding the metabolic mechanism of EPA-induced lipotoxicity to further enhance its anticancer effects.

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DNA binding with one finger (Dof) proteins have been proven to be involved in multiple biological processes. However, genome-wide identification of the Dof gene family has not been reported for Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum). In this study, 35 FtDof proteins were identified, and they could be divided into nine phylogenetic subgroups. Proteins within the same subgroup had similar gene structure and motif composition. Moreover, abundant cis-acting elements were present in the promoter regions of FtDof genes. Segmental duplication was the primary driving force for the evolution of the FtDof gene family. Synteny analysis indicated that Tartary buckwheat was closer to dicotyledons, and more orthologous Dof genes existed among them. The expression pattern of FtDofs in different tissues and at different fruit developmental stages varied. Different tissues contained several genes that were specifically expressed. FtDof expression was mainly upregulated under methyl jasmonate treatment and downregulated under other hormone treatments. Taken together, FtDofs may play important roles in the growth and development of Tartary buckwheat and in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Therefore, the genome-wide identification and expression pattern analysis of the Tartary buckwheat Dof gene family lays a foundation for further exploration of the functional characteristics of FtDofs in the future.

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