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Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Cereals

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A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant, Algae and Fungi Cell Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 8705

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Daniela Marone

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Guest Editor

Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: durum wheat; disease resistance; genetic mapping; quantitative traits; cisgenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Grazia Maria Borrelli

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Guest Editor

Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, CREA, SS 673, Km 25.200, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: new breeding technologies; abiotic stress; functional foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To make knowledge in cereal improvement for biotic and abiotic stresses available and useful in modern plant breeding, we invite contributions for a Special Issue entitled “Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses” for Cereals. Cereal crops are essential for human consumption and for feed for livestock around the world. Biotic and abiotic stresses are the leading cause of yield loss, decreasing crop productivity by 50%–80% worldwide depending on the crop and geographical location. Biotic stresses include insect bacteria, viruses, pests, and fungi. Among abiotic stresses, cold, drought, and salinity are the most damaging in cereals. The improvement of crop resistance to stresses through breeding represents the most urgent task in current plant breeding also due to the increase in demand for plant-derived products that will rise in the near future caused by the growing human population and the depletion of fossil fuels. Multidisciplinary approaches, including phenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, genomics, and metagenomics, could greatly contribute to obtain successful breeding strategies useful for improvement programs especially in light of changes in global climate. The incredible advances in ‘post-genomic era’ technologies have also accelerated the understanding of stress mechanisms and offer a powerful contribution for crop cereal yield increase.

Dr. Daniela Marone
Dr. Grazia Maria Borrelli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

cereal crops
genetic resources
omic approaches
biotic and abiotic stresses

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Physiological and Biochemical Performance of Mung Bean and Maize under Saline and Heavy Metal Stress through Application of Endophytic Fungal Strain SL3 and Exogenous IAA

by Muhammad Aizaz, Ibrahim Khan, Lubna, Sajjad Asaf, Saqib Bilal, Rahmatullah Jan, Abdul Latif Khan, Kyung-Min Kim and Ahmed AL-Harrasi

Cells 2023, 12(15), 1960; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12151960 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1540

Abstract

Modern irrigation practices and industrial pollution can contribute to the simultaneous occurrence of salinity and heavy metal contamination in large areas of the world, resulting in significant negative effects on crop productivity and sustainability. This study aimed to investigate the growth-promoting potentials of an important endophytic fungal strain SL3 and to compare its potential with exogenous IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) in the context of salt and heavy metal stress. The strain was assessed for plant growth-promoting traits such as the production of indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellins (GA), and siderophore. We selected two important crops, mung bean and maize, and examined various physiological and biochemical characteristics under 300 mM NaCl and 2.5 mM Pb stress conditions, with and without the application of IAA and SL3. This study’s results demonstrated that both IAA and SL3 positively impacted the growth and development of plants under normal and stressed conditions. In NaCl and Pb-induced stress conditions, the growth of mung bean and maize plants was significantly reduced. However, the application of IAA and SL3 helped to alleviate stress, leading to a significant increase in shoot/root length and weight compared to IAA and SL3 non-treated plants. The results revealed that photosynthetic pigments, accumulation of catalase (CAT), phenolic contents, polyphenol oxidase, and flavanols are higher in the IAA and SL3-treated plants than in the non-inoculated plants. This study’s findings revealed that applying the SL3 fungal strain positively influenced various physiological and biochemical processes in tested plant species under normal and stress conditions of NaCl and Pb. These findings also suggested that SL3 could be a potential replacement for widely used IAA to promote plant growth by improving photosynthetic efficiency, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing metabolic activities in plants, including mung and maize. Moreover, this study highlights that SL3 has synergistic effects with IAA in enhancing resilience to salt and heavy stress and offers a promising avenue for future agricultural applications in salt and heavy metal-affected regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Cereals)

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17 pages, 1703 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Global Proteome Profiling Revealed the Adaptive Reprogramming of Barley Flag Leaf to Drought and Elevated Temperature

by Krzysztof Mikołajczak, Anetta Kuczyńska, Paweł Krajewski, Michał Kempa and Natalia Witaszak

Cells 2023, 12(13), 1685; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12131685 - 22 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1165

Abstract

Plants, as sessile organisms, have developed sophisticated mechanisms to survive in changing environments. Recent advances in omics approaches have facilitated the exploration of plant genomes; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of barley and other cereals to multiple abiotic stresses remain largely unclear. Exposure to stress stimuli affects many proteins with regulatory and protective functions. In the present study, we employed liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry to identify stress-responsive proteins on the genome-wide scale of barley flag leaves exposed to drought, heat, or both. Profound alterations in the proteome of genotypes with different flag leaf sizes were found. The role of stress-inducible proteins was discussed and candidates underlying the universal stress response were proposed, including dehydrins. Moreover, the putative functions of several unknown proteins that can mediate responses to stress stimuli were explored using Pfam annotation, including calmodulin-like proteins. Finally, the confrontation of protein and mRNA abundances was performed. A correlation network between transcripts and proteins performance revealed several components of the stress-adaptive pathways in barley flag leaf. Taking the findings together, promising candidates for improving the tolerance of barley and other cereals to multivariate stresses were uncovered. The presented proteomic landscape and its relationship to transcriptomic remodeling provide novel insights for understanding the molecular responses of plants to environmental cues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Cereals)

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19 pages, 3137 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exogenous Melatonin Enhances the Low Phosphorus Tolerance of Barley Roots of Different Genotypes

by Zengke Ma, Ke Yang, Juncheng Wang, Jingwei Ma, Lirong Yao, Erjing Si, Baochun Li, Xiaole Ma, Xunwu Shang, Yaxiong Meng and Huajun Wang

Cells 2023, 12(10), 1397; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12101397 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1254

Abstract

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) plays an important role in plant growth and development, and in the response to various abiotic stresses. However, its role in the responses of barley to low phosphorus (LP) stress remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the root phenotypes and metabolic patterns of LP-tolerant (GN121) and LP-sensitive (GN42) barley genotypes under normal P, LP, and LP with exogenous melatonin (30 μM) conditions. We found that melatonin improved barley tolerance to LP mainly by increasing root length. Untargeted metabolomic analysis showed that metabolites such as carboxylic acids and derivatives, fatty acyls, organooxygen compounds, benzene and substituted derivatives were involved in the LP stress response of barley roots, while melatonin mainly regulated indoles and derivatives, organooxygen compounds, and glycerophospholipids to alleviate LP stress. Interestingly, exogenous melatonin showed different metabolic patterns in different genotypes of barley in response to LP stress. In GN42, exogenous melatonin mainly promotes hormone-mediated root growth and increases antioxidant capacity to cope with LP damage, while in GN121, it mainly promotes the P remobilization to supplement phosphate in roots. Our study revealed the protective mechanisms of exogenous MT in alleviating LP stress of different genotypes of barley, which can be used in the production of phosphorus-deficient crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Cereals)

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29 pages, 7309 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals a Multi-Faceted Resistance Response to Fusarium Head Blight Mediated by the Thinopyrum elongatum Fhb7E Locus Transferred via Chromosome Engineering into Wheat

by Giuseppina Fanelli, Ljiljana Kuzmanović, Gloria Giovenali, Silvio Tundo, Giulia Mandalà, Sara Rinalducci and Carla Ceoloni

Cells 2023, 12(8), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12081113 - 8 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1900

Abstract

The Thinopyrum elongatum Fhb7E locus has been proven to confer outstanding resistance to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) when transferred into wheat, minimizing yield loss and mycotoxin accumulation in grains. Despite their biological relevance and breeding implications, the molecular mechanisms underlying the resistant phenotype associated with Fhb7E have not been fully uncovered. To gain a broader understanding of processes involved in this complex plant–pathogen interaction, we analysed via untargeted metabolomics durum wheat (DW) rachises and grains upon spike inoculation with Fusarium graminearum (Fg) and water. The employment of DW near-isogenic recombinant lines carrying or lacking the Th. elongatum chromosome 7E region including Fhb7E on their 7AL arm, allowed clear-cut distinction between differentially accumulated disease-related metabolites. Besides confirming the rachis as key site of the main metabolic shift in plant response to FHB, and the upregulation of defence pathways (aromatic amino acid, phenylpropanoid, terpenoid) leading to antioxidants and lignin accumulation, novel insights were revealed. Fhb7E conferred constitutive and early-induced defence response, in which specific importance of polyamine biosynthesis, glutathione and vitamin B₆ metabolisms, along with presence of multiple routes for deoxynivalenol detoxification, was highlighted. The results suggested Fhb7E to correspond to a compound locus, triggering a multi-faceted plant response to Fg, effectively limiting Fg growth and mycotoxin production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Cereals)

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Review

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28 pages, 1925 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Triticeae CBF Gene Cluster—To Frost Resistance and Beyond

by Giovanni Caccialupi, Justyna Milc, Federica Caradonia, Muhammad Fazail Nasar and Enrico Francia

Cells 2023, 12(22), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12222606 - 11 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1755

Abstract

The pivotal role of CBF/DREB1 transcriptional factors in Triticeae crops involved in the abiotic stress response has been highlighted. The CBFs represent an important hub in the ICE-CBF-COR pathway, which is one of the most relevant mechanisms capable of activating the adaptive response to cold and drought in wheat, barley, and rye. Understanding the intricate mechanisms and regulation of the cluster of CBF genes harbored by the homoeologous chromosome group 5 entails significant potential for the genetic improvement of small grain cereals. Triticeae crops seem to share common mechanisms characterized, however, by some peculiar aspects of the response to stress, highlighting a combined landscape of single-nucleotide variants and copy number variation involving CBF members of subgroup IV. Moreover, while chromosome 5 ploidy appears to confer species-specific levels of resistance, an important involvement of the ICE factor might explain the greater tolerance of rye. By unraveling the genetic basis of abiotic stress tolerance, researchers can develop resilient varieties better equipped to withstand extreme environmental conditions. Hence, advancing our knowledge of CBFs and their interactions represents a promising avenue for improving crop resilience and food security. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Cereals)

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