Lipid and Hormone Action in Crop Development and Defense

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2026 | Viewed by 1987

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: lipid and plant hormone-responsive gene function

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
Interests: steroidal hormone function in plant development and stress response

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As major components of plasma membrane and organelles, lipids also function as active molecules, likely contributing to signal transduction, the permeability and fluidity of membranes, and as precursor substances for some important hormones. Additionally, lipids perform the functions of signals and regulators in a variety of cellular processes, such as programmed cell death (PCD), cell-to-cell interactions, abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent stomatal closure, cell wall formation, pollen development, Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) integrity, drought and salt tolerance, low-temperature-induced signal transduction, cell division and growth, mineral ion homeostasis, plant–microbe interactions, cell-type differentiation, organogenesis, and cellular organization and adaptation. Plant hormones also play a pivotal regulatory role in crop development and defense. Based on this broad range of functions, we are launching a Special Issue of Agronomy, titled “Lipid and Hormone Action in Crop Development and Defense”, which will focus on the following topics:

  • Candidate gene response to lipids and related plant hormones;
  • Exploration of the relationship between lipids, plant hormones, and plant architecture;
  • The genes, transcription factors, and enzymes involved in lipid and plant hormone metabolism/signal;
  • Lipid and plant hormones involved in crop tolerance;
  • Vesicular trafficking networks in crop–fungal pathogen interactions.

The overall aim of this Special Issue is to contribute to the knowledge of genes regulated directly or indirectly by lipids or plant hormones. We welcome studies concentrating on crop development and defense mechanisms.

Dr. Xingying Yan
Prof. Dr. Ming Luo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • lipid
  • sphingolipids
  • plant hormone response
  • stress response
  • plant architecture
  • signal transduction
  • vesicle trafficking
  • ER stress

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5092 KB  
Article
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Key Regulatory Genes Under PEG-Induced Osmotic Stress in Soybean
by Chen Liu, Jilin Wang, Die Hu, Ting Wu, Mingyan Xiang, Xuan Gong, Zelin Yi and Xiaomei Fang
Agronomy 2026, 16(5), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16050569 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 553
Abstract
Soybean is a critical oil and protein crop for both food and forage production; however, its growth and development are severely impacted by drought stress. Nevertheless, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in soybean remain poorly understood. In this study, two soybean [...] Read more.
Soybean is a critical oil and protein crop for both food and forage production; however, its growth and development are severely impacted by drought stress. Nevertheless, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in soybean remain poorly understood. In this study, two soybean varieties, Jindou 21 (JD21, drought-tolerant) and Suinong 26 (SN26, drought-sensitive), were used as experimental materials and subjected to 15% PEG6000 to simulate drought stress. Roots and leaves were sampled at 0 h, 6 h, and 12 h after treatment to determine physiological indicators and conduct RNA-seq analysis. The results showed that JD21 exhibited a lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content but higher soluble sugar and proline contents than SN26. A total of 2603 and 3128 osmotic-stress-responsive genes were identified in the roots and leaves of SN26 and JD21, respectively. Additionally, 256 genes in the roots and 215 genes in the leaves showed consistent differential expression between the two varieties across the three treatment time points. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Within these pathways, the functions of GmGST, GmAMD1, GmADH1, GmENO, GmsacA, and GmSUS3 were validated through transgenic hairy root assays, demonstrating that these genes play positive regulatory roles in osmotic stress response. This study provides valuable data for elucidating plant PEG-induced osmotic-stress-response mechanisms and offers theoretical support for drought-resistant soybean breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lipid and Hormone Action in Crop Development and Defense)
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18 pages, 3881 KB  
Article
Phosphorus Regulates Cotton Fiber Development Through GhPHR1-GhGCS1 Module
by Zhiqing Qiao, Junli Ding, Qiaoling Wang, Xingying Yan, Yinghui Gao, Pingting Tan, Ning Liu, Fei Liu and Ming Luo
Agronomy 2026, 16(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030324 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 797
Abstract
Cotton is an important cash crop globally. Cotton fiber is the main economic product of cotton plants. Phosphorus, as one of the essential nutrients, plays an important role in plant growth and development. However, few studies focus on phosphorus regulating fiber elongation. In [...] Read more.
Cotton is an important cash crop globally. Cotton fiber is the main economic product of cotton plants. Phosphorus, as one of the essential nutrients, plays an important role in plant growth and development. However, few studies focus on phosphorus regulating fiber elongation. In this study, we used the cotton ovule culture system in vitro to explore the effects of various phosphorus levels on fiber and ovule growth, and screened for phosphorus-responsive factor, as well as revealed its action mechanism. The results indicated that fiber elongation was more sensitive than ovule growth to phosphorus deficiency. GhPHR1, a homolog of phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1) in upland cotton, was significantly upregulated in fibers and ovules under phosphorus-deficient conditions. GhPHR1 directly binds to the promoter of the glucosylceramide synthase gene in cotton (GhGCS1) and positively regulates its expression. Overexpressing GhGCS1 enhanced phosphorus uptake and transport in cotton, increased phosphorus content in fiber cells, and promoted fiber cell elongation. Conversely, downregulating GhGCS1 reduced phosphorus content in fiber cells and suppressed fiber elongation. These findings demonstrate the importance of the GhPHR1-GhGCS1 molecular module in regulating fiber cell elongation and elucidate the molecular mechanism by which phosphorus influences fiber elongation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lipid and Hormone Action in Crop Development and Defense)
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