Stress signaling and physiological modulation by glycine betaine for cadmium-resilient maize
10 affiliations
- 1Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- 2Agricultural Biotechnology Department, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
- 3Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- 4Department of Biology, Nakhchivan State University, Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan
- 5Department of Biology, Turabah University College, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
- 6Institute of Environmental Engineering, RUDN University, Moscow, Russia
- 7Department of Ecology, National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- 8Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 9Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 10Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Nangarhar University Jalalabad, Nangarhar, Afghanistan
Abstract
Glycine betaine (GB), a naturally occurring osmoprotectant, stabilizes proteins, membranes, and osmotic balance under abiotic stress. It effectively mitigates oxidative damage and maintains redox homeostasis, making it a promising candidate for cadmium (Cd) tolerance. Cd toxicity is a major constraint to sustainable agriculture due to its phytotoxicity and bioaccumulation. This study evaluates the effect of GB applied via seed priming and foliar spray on Cd stress in two maize cultivars with contrasting tolerance ( CZP and MMRI). Plants were exposed to 500 mM CdCl₂ under controlled conditions, and morpho-physiological and biochemical traits – including biomass, chlorophyll, protein, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), proline, GB, soluble sugars, phenolics, and flavonoids – were measured. Cd exposure reduced biomass, chlorophyll, and protein, while increasing ROS, MDA, and H₂O₂. Treatments, particularly seed priming, enhanced osmoprotectants and antioxidants, restoring osmotic balance and redox homeostasis. CZP showed greater biochemical resistance and lower Cd translocation than MMRI. Overall, GB-mediated stress modulation involves physiological reprogramming, with seed priming proving more effective than foliar spray. This study provides novel insights into GB-driven amelioration of Cd stress in maize.
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BibTeX
@article{hashmat2026stress,
title = {{Stress signaling and physiological modulation by glycine betaine for cadmium-resilient maize}},
author = {Sherjeel Hashmat and Mobeen Zaki and Hossam S. El-Beltagi and Usman Zulfiqar and Mohammed S. Alotaibi and Nazih Y. Rebouh and Bakhrom Jobborov and Mashael Daghash Alqahtani and Hatem E. Semary and Sajid Ullah},
journal = {Plant Signaling \& Behavior},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/15592324.2026.2737762},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2026.2737762},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Stress signaling and physiological modulation by glycine betaine for cadmium-resilient maize
AU - Sherjeel Hashmat
AU - Mobeen Zaki
AU - Hossam S. El-Beltagi
AU - Usman Zulfiqar
AU - Mohammed S. Alotaibi
AU - Nazih Y. Rebouh
AU - Bakhrom Jobborov
AU - Mashael Daghash Alqahtani
AU - Hatem E. Semary
AU - Sajid Ullah
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Plant Signaling & Behavior
DO - 10.1080/15592324.2026.2737762
UR - https://doi.org/10.1080/15592324.2026.2737762
AB - Glycine betaine (GB), a naturally occurring osmoprotectant, stabilizes proteins, membranes, and osmotic balance under abiotic stress. It effectively mitigates oxidative damage and maintains redox homeostasis, making it a promising candidate for cadmium (Cd) tolerance. Cd toxicity is a major constraint to sustainable agriculture due to its phytotoxicity and bioaccumulation. This study evaluates the effect of GB applied via seed priming and foliar spray on Cd stress in two maize cultivars with contrasting tolerance ( CZP and MMRI). Plants were exposed to 500 mM CdCl₂ under controlled conditions, and morpho-physiological and biochemical traits – including biomass, chlorophyll, protein, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), proline, GB, soluble sugars, phenolics, and flavonoids – were measured. Cd exposure reduced biomass, chlorophyll, and protein, while increasing ROS, MDA, and H₂O₂. Treatments, particularly seed priming, enhanced osmoprotectants and antioxidants, restoring osmotic balance and redox homeostasis. CZP showed greater biochemical resistance and lower Cd translocation than MMRI. Overall, GB-mediated stress modulation involves physiological reprogramming, with seed priming proving more effective than foliar spray. This study provides novel insights into GB-driven amelioration of Cd stress in maize.
SN - 1559-2316
SN - 1559-2324
ER -