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Molecular Genetic Mechanism of Stress Resistance in Plants

A Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067) belonging to the section "Molecular Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 3158

Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
Interests: agriculture; genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are continually exposed to diverse environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, cold extreme temperatures, and nutrient imbalances, as well as pathogen attacks, all of which severely affect their growth, productivity, and ecosystem stability, and thus ultimately pose significant threats to global agricultural productivity and economy. To survive under these challenging conditions, plants have evolved highly sophisticated molecular and genetic mechanisms that govern stress perception, signal transduction, and the activation of adaptive physiological responses. These mechanisms involve intricate crosstalk among hormonal pathways, transcriptional networks, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and epigenetic regulation, enabling plants to dynamically modulate their defense strategies in response to fluctuating environments.

Recent advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics have significantly accelerated discoveries of novel stress-responsive genes and regulatory pathways that contribute to stress resilience. Furthermore, emerging tools, such as genome editing, synthetic biology, and systems-level modelling, are providing new opportunities to dissect and engineer stress-response networks with unprecedented precision. Understanding the genetic mechanisms controlling stress tolerance is essential for developing resilient crop varieties to ensure global food security in the face of climate change. Therefore, molecular genetic research on plant stress resistance remains an urgent and rapidly expanding scientific field.

With a particular focus on novel regulatory mechanisms, technological innovations, and translational applications, we are pleased to invite you to contribute original research articles and comprehensive reviews to this Special Issue to advance fundamental knowledge and support the development of resilient crops for sustainable agriculture.

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nurul Matin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • stress response and resistance
  • environmental adaptation
  • abiotic and biotic stress
  • gene regulation network
  • functional genomics
  • molecular signalling pathways
  • CRISPR/cas systems
  • epigenetic regulation
  • transcriptome profiling
  • metabolic reprogramming
  • stress-responsive genes

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

43 pages, 8067 KB  
Review
Phytohormone-Mediated Regulation of Plant Cold Stress Tolerance: Signaling, Hormonal Crosstalk, and Translational Perspectives
by Shafi Ullah, Mohammad Nurul Matin, Changxi Yin, Md. Atik Mas-ud, Atika Khan, Md. Shoffikul Islam, Irfanullah and Ijaz ul Haq
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(9), 4085; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27094085 - 2 May 2026
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2742
Abstract
Cold stress (CS) represents a major environmental factor that adversely affects plant growth, development, and productivity. To cope with low-temperature conditions, plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for CS perception and response, mediated through complex cellular signaling networks and physiological processes. Central to these [...] Read more.
Cold stress (CS) represents a major environmental factor that adversely affects plant growth, development, and productivity. To cope with low-temperature conditions, plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for CS perception and response, mediated through complex cellular signaling networks and physiological processes. Central to these adaptive responses are phytohormones, which function either independently or through synergistic and antagonistic interactions to fine-tune CS tolerance. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the roles of major classical phytohormones and signaling metabolites in regulating CS tolerance in plants. We first outline the molecular mechanisms involved in CS sensing and signal transduction, highlighting the roles of membrane-associated sensors, calcium signaling, and downstream transcriptional networks. Then, we discuss the contributions of key classical phytohormones, including auxin, abscisic acid, ethylene, salicylic acid, cytokinin, jasmonic acid, brassinosteroids, gibberellic acid, strigolactones, and signaling metabolites, including melatonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid, to CS tolerance, highlighting their individual and interacting roles in modulating gene expression regulation, antioxidant defense and physiological adaptations. We also discuss the crosstalk between these hormones, emphasizing the dynamic and often context-dependent nature of their interactions in response to CS. Furthermore, the review highlights recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing strategies targeting phytohormone biosynthesis, signaling, and response pathways to improve CS tolerance in plants. By integrating hormonal signaling, molecular regulation, and modern biotechnological tools, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding phytohormone-mediated CS adaptation and offers perspectives for developing climate-resilient crops through genetic and agronomic approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Genetic Mechanism of Stress Resistance in Plants)
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