Plants continuously remodel and degrade their organelles due to damage from their metabolic activities and environmental stressors, as well as an integral part of their cell differentiation programs. Whereas certain organelles use local hydrolytic enzymes for limited remodeling, most of the pathways that control the partial or complete dismantling of organelles rely on vacuolar degradation. Specifically, selective autophagic pathways play a crucial role in recognizing and sorting plant organelle cargo for vacuolar clearance, especially under cellular stress conditions induced by factors like heat, drought, and damaging light. In these short reviews, we discuss the mechanisms that control the vacuolar degradation of chloroplasts, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and peroxisomes, with an emphasis on autophagy, recently discovered selective autophagy receptors for plant organelles, and crosstalk with other catabolic pathways.

The yellow passion fruit is a key crop in irrigated areas of Northeast Brazil, but production is challenged by limited water availability and high salinity in groundwater used for irrigation. This study evaluated the effects of grafting Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Degener (E) onto P. foetida L. (F) rootstock to reduce the impact of saline stress. Conducted in a greenhouse using a 3 × 2 factorial design with four replications, the experiment tested three grafting combinations (F + F, E + E and E + F) under two salinity levels (0.5 and 6.0 dS m⁻¹). Key parameters measured included SPAD index, soluble protein content, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels, catalase enzyme activity, plant height, and leaf number. Salinity significantly reduced plant height, especially at 6.0 dS m⁻¹. The E + E combination had the highest protein content in roots (23.8%). However, grafting P. edulis onto P. foetida (E + F) enhanced catalase activity and reduced H₂O₂ accumulation, indicating improved tolerance to salt stress. The findings suggest that using P. foetida as a rootstock may help mitigate oxidative damage and promote better physiological performance of yellow passion fruit under saline conditions, offering a strategy to sustain cultivation in stress-prone environments.