Bryophytes constitute a heterogeneous group of plants which includes three clades: approximately 14,000 species of mosses (Bryophyta), 6000 species of liverworts (Marchantiophyta), and 300 species of hornworts (Anthocerotophyta). They are common in almost all ecosystems, where they play important roles. Bryophytes lack developed physical barriers, yet they are rarely attacked by herbivores or pathogens. Instead, they have acquired the ability to produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with diverse functions, such as phytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, insect antifeedant, and molluscicidal activities. Secondary metabolites in bryophytes can also be involved in stress tolerance, i.e., in UV-absorptive and drought- and freezing-tolerant activities. Due to these properties, for centuries bryophytes have been used to combat health problems in many cultures on different continents. Currently, scientists are discovering new, unique compounds in bryophytes with potential for practical use, which, in the age of drug resistance, may be of considerable importance. The aim of this review is to present bryophytes as a potential source of compounds with miscellaneous possible uses, with a focus on volatile compounds and antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic potential, and as sources of materials for further promising research. The paper also briefly refers to the methods of compound extraction and acquisition. Formulas of compounds were drawn by the authors using ChemDraw software (PerkinElmer, Boston, MA, USA) with reference to data published in various papers, the ACD/Labs dictionary database, PubChem, and Scopus. The data were gathered in February 2022.

Ninety-one potato genotypes (cultivars and breeding lines) selected as resistant or susceptible to pathotype Ro1 of Globodera rostochiensis were screened for the presence of two PCR markers, 0.14 and 0.76 kb in length. Both PCR markers were linked with the H1 gene, located at the distal end of the long arm of chromosome V, and were present in 88 to 100% of the resistant cultivars and breeding lines. The 0.76 kb PCR marker was detected in all resistant genotypes and in approximately 86% of susceptible breeding lines as well as in all susceptible cultivars. The 0.14 kb marker was detected in 88% of resistant breeding lines and in 94% of resistant cultivars. Most of the susceptible genotypes tested (91% of cultivars, but only 50% of breeding lines) did not show the presence of the 0.14 kb marker. We conclude that the 0.14 kb H1 marker is likely to be useful for the proper selection of potato genotypes resistant to the Ro1 pathotype of G. rostochiensis.

Due to the industrial use of Mentha piperita L. (peppermint), it is important to develop an optimal method to obtain standardized plant material with specific quality parameters. In vitro cultures may allow the production of desirable odor-active compounds (OACs) and improve their share in the plant aroma profile. There are two types of explants that are commonly used, apical meristems and nodal segments. In this study, the best overall effects were shown to be produced by the combination of MS medium with the addition of 0.5 mg·dm⁻³ indolyl-3-butyric acid. In this case, a very high degree of rooting was found (97% for apical meristems, 100% for nodal meristems), lateral shoots were induced in 83% of both types of explant, and the content of OACs in the plant aroma profile increased significantly, especially menthofurolactone and cis-carvone oxide, responsible in this case for a characteristic mint-like aroma. The comparison of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) obtained from plants of different origin by GC-MS showed no significant differences in their qualitative composition. Moreover, in-vitro-cultivated peppermint on a medium containing 0.5 mg·dm⁻³ 2-isopentinloadenine and 0.1 mg·dm⁻³ indolyl-3-acetic acid showed significant amounts of menthofurolactone in its VOC composition.

Sustainable agricultural practices are still essential due to soil degradation and crop losses. Recently, the relationship between plants and nanoparticles (NPs) attracted scientists’ attention, especially for applications in agricultural production as nanonutrition. Therefore, the present research was carried out to investigate the effect of Fe₃O₄ NPs at low concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 20 mg/L) on three genotypes of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seedlings grown in hydroponic conditions. Significant increases in seedling growth, enhanced chlorophyll quality and quantity, and two miRNA expression levels were observed. Additionally, increased genotoxicity was observed in seedlings grown with NPs. Generally, Fe₃O₄ NPs at low concentrations could be successfully used as nanonutrition for increasing barley photosynthetic efficiency with consequently enhanced yield. These results are important for a better understanding of the potential impact of Fe₃O₄ NPs at low concentrations in agricultural crops and the potential of these NPs as nanonutrition for barley growth and yield enhancement. Future studies are needed to investigate the effect of these NPs on the expression of resistance-related genes and chlorophyll synthesis-related gene expression in treated barley seedlings.

White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is a pulse annual plant cultivated from the tropics to temperate regions for its high-protein grain as well as a cover crop or green manure. Wild populations are typically late flowering and have high vernalization requirements. Nevertheless, some early flowering and thermoneutral accessions were found in the Mediterranean basin. Recently, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) explaining flowering time variance were identified in bi-parental population mapping, however, phenotypic and genotypic diversity in the world collection has not been addressed yet. In this study, a diverse set of white lupin accessions (n = 160) was phenotyped for time to flowering in a controlled environment and genotyped with PCR-based markers (n = 50) tagging major QTLs and selected homologs of photoperiod and vernalization pathway genes. This survey highlighted quantitative control of flowering time in white lupin, providing statistically significant associations for all major QTLs and numerous regulatory genes, including white lupin homologs of CONSTANS, FLOWERING LOCUS T, FY, MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1, PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4, SKI-INTERACTING PROTEIN 1, and VERNALIZATION INDEPENDENCE 3. This revealed the complexity of flowering control in white lupin, dispersed among numerous loci localized on several chromosomes, provided economic justification for future genome-wide association studies or genomic selection rather than relying on simple marker-assisted selection.

Genetic maps are an essential tool for investigating molecular markers’ linkage with traits of agronomic importance. Breeders put a lot of emphasis on this type of markers, which are used in breeding programs implementation and speed up the process of a new variety development. In this paper, we construct a new, high-density linkage genetic map for Polish material on narrow-leafed lupin. The mapping population originated from crossing the Polish variety ‘Emir’ and the Belarusian breeding line ‘LAE-1’. A new map was constructed based on DArTseq markers—a new type of marker generated with the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique. The map was built with 4602 markers, which are divided into 20 linkage groups, corresponding with the number of gametic chromosomes in narrow-leafed lupin. On the new map there are 1174 unique loci. The total length of all linkage group is 3042 cM. This map was compared to the reference genome of narrow-leafed lupin and the CDS sequence for model legume species: emphMedicago truncatula, emphLotus japonicus and Glycine max. Analysis revealed the presence of the DArTseq marker common for all investigated species. We were able to map 38 new, unplaced scaffolds on the new genetic map of narrow-leafed lupin. The high-density genetic map we received can be used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association study analysis and assembly of the reference genome for the whole genome sequencing (WGS) method