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Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies
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Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 4557

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Tarek Alshaal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Plant Biology, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: nutrichemicals; biomass crops; soil–plant–microbe interactions; abiotic stress; nanoparticles; leaf protein; secondary metabolites; plant growth biostimulants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The proposed Special Issue delves into the multifaceted realm of “Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies”, seeking to unravel the intricate mechanisms, adaptive responses, and innovative strategies for mitigating the adverse impacts of environmental stressors on plant growth, development, and productivity. Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, heavy metals, and nutrient deficiency, pose significant challenges to global agriculture, threatening food security and sustainability. This Special Issue aims to elucidate the underlying physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes involved in plant stress responses while also exploring novel approaches for enhancing stress tolerance and resilience in crops.

The scope of this Special Issue encompasses, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Physiological and molecular responses: Elucidation of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to abiotic stress, including signaling pathways, gene regulation, and metabolic adjustments.
  • Adaptive strategies: Exploration of natural and induced adaptive strategies employed by plants to cope with abiotic stress, such as osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense mechanisms, and hormonal regulation.
  • Genetic diversity and breeding: Assessment of genetic diversity, germplasm screening, and breeding approaches for developing stress-tolerant crop varieties with improved resilience to abiotic stress conditions.
  • Omics technologies: Integration of omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, to unravel the complex networks and molecular responses involved in plant abiotic stress tolerance.
  • Biotechnological interventions: Application of biotechnological tools and techniques, such as genetic engineering, genome editing, and synthetic biology, to enhance stress tolerance and productivity in crops.
  • Crop management practices: Evaluation of agronomic practices, crop management strategies, and precision agriculture techniques for optimizing plant performance under abiotic stress environments.
  • Sustainable solutions: The development and implementation of sustainable and eco-friendly approaches for mitigating abiotic stress in plants, including biofortification, soil amendments, and microbial symbiosis.
  • Model systems and translational research: Utilization of model plant systems and translational research approaches to elucidate the fundamental principles of abiotic stress tolerance and facilitate knowledge translation to crop improvement programs.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and communications from researchers and experts working in academia, industry, and governmental institutions, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in abiotic stress in plants.

Dr. Tarek Alshaal
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • abiotic stress
  • plant physiology
  • stress tolerance
  • crop resilience
  • molecular mechanisms
  • biotechnological interventions

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3235 KiB  
Article
Metabolomics Combined with Photosynthetic Analysis Reveals Potential Mechanisms of Phenolic Compound Accumulation in Lonicera japonica Induced by Nitrate Nitrogen Supply
by Yiwen Cao, Yating Yang, Zhengwei Tan, Xihan Feng, Zhiyao Tian, Tianheng Liu, Yonghui Pan, Min Wang, Xiaoyu Su, Huizhen Liang and Shiwei Guo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(9), 4464; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26094464 - 7 May 2025
Abstract
Mineral nutrition is of vital importance in plant growth and secondary metabolites accumulation, and thereby in the nutritional value of plants. In Lonicera japonica, a preference to nitrate (NO3−−N) in comparison to ammonium (NH4+−N) was found [...] Read more.
Mineral nutrition is of vital importance in plant growth and secondary metabolites accumulation, and thereby in the nutritional value of plants. In Lonicera japonica, a preference to nitrate (NO3−−N) in comparison to ammonium (NH4+−N) was found in our previous study, which can be revealed from the rapid growth rate of L. japonica under NO3−−N. This study assessed whether a preference for nitrogen sources could invoke metabolic reprogramming and interrelationships between factors. NO3−−fed plants exhibited substantial enhancement of carbon stimulation, which was strongly and positively correlated with mesophyll conductance. As a result, the elevated carbon flux by NO3− supplement was shuttled to phenolic metabolites synthesis, including flavones and caffeoylquinic acids compounds. Notably, the stimulation was triggered by changes in the NO3− and C/N ratio and was mediated by the induction of several enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway. On the contrary, NH4+ plants showed an increment in the content of nitrogen, carbohydrates, and amino acids (mainly a strong increase in citrulline and theanine). Within secondary metabolism, NH4+ may involve active lignin metabolism, showing a dramatic increment in hydroxy−ferulic acid and lignin content. This work provides significant insights regarding the mechanisms of L. japonica in response to diverse nitrogen regimes and effective strategies of nitrogen fertilizer input for L. japonica. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies)
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21 pages, 2854 KiB  
Article
The Role of Phosphorus Fertilization in Antioxidant Responses of Drought-Stressed Common Beech and Sessile Oak Provenances
by Antonia Vukmirović, Željko Škvorc, Saša Bogdan, Daniel Krstonošić, Ida Katičić Bogdan, Tomislav Karažija, Marko Bačurin, Magdalena Brener and Krunoslav Sever
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3053; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073053 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 164
Abstract
During drought, a major abiotic stressor for European forests, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced, causing oxidative damage that affects structural and metabolic tree functions. This research examines the effects of drought, phosphorus (P) fertilization, and provenance on photosynthetic pigments, malondialdehyde (MDA) [...] Read more.
During drought, a major abiotic stressor for European forests, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced, causing oxidative damage that affects structural and metabolic tree functions. This research examines the effects of drought, phosphorus (P) fertilization, and provenance on photosynthetic pigments, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and antioxidant enzyme activities in common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) saplings from two provenances. In a common garden experiment, four treatments were applied: regular watering with (+PW) and without P fertilization (−PW), and drought with (+PD) and without (−PD) P fertilization. Results showed that drought increased both MDA concentrations and antioxidant enzyme activity, particularly superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), which are responsible for ROS scavenging. Additionally, chlorophyll a + b concentrations were lower in drought-exposed plants. Phosphorus fertilization minimally affected MDA levels but enhanced antioxidant responses, particularly APX and CAT activities in oak during drought. Provenance differences were notable, with oak and beech from the drier provenance showing better adaptation, reflected in lower MDA levels and higher enzyme activities. This study underscores the importance of antioxidant defenses in coping with drought stress, with phosphorus fertilization and provenance shaping the species’ adaptive capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies)
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21 pages, 25612 KiB  
Article
The Overexpression of SlPLATZ17 Can Increase the Tolerance of Tomatoes to Drought and Salt Stress
by Xueli Jia, Xinyue Pang, Min Xu, Congmin Wang, Huixin Wei, Jing Liu, He Zhang, Dalong Li, Xiangyang Xu and Tingting Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(5), 1836; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26051836 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 476
Abstract
PLATZ, a novel zinc finger DNA-binding protein, plays crucial regulatory roles in the growth and development of various plants and in the modulation of abiotic stress responses. However, knowledge of the functions of PLATZ genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is lacking. [...] Read more.
PLATZ, a novel zinc finger DNA-binding protein, plays crucial regulatory roles in the growth and development of various plants and in the modulation of abiotic stress responses. However, knowledge of the functions of PLATZ genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is lacking. In our study, we established stable SlPLATZ17 gene overexpression and knockout lines to further analyze the regulatory functions of SlPLATZ17 under drought and salt stress. It was found that the overexpression lines presented increased drought and salt tolerance under stress. Transcriptome sequencing and screening for interacting proteins revealed that SlPLATZ17 may exert its effects by interacting with POR1, thereby influencing glutathione metabolism and arginine and proline metabolism. In conclusion, the findings lay the groundwork for a deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying the role of SlPLATZ17 in stress resistance, as well as facilitating the application of SlPLATZ17 in the breeding of stress-resistant tomato varieties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies)
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Review

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15 pages, 801 KiB  
Review
Phosphoenolpyruvate and Related Metabolic Pathways Contribute to the Regulation of Plant Growth and Development
by Runzhou Hu, Haiyang Yu, Jing Deng, Shanjing Chen, Ronglan Yang, Hongjun Xie, Xiao Tang, Yaying Yu, Yonghong Duan, Meng Zhang, Mingdong Zhu and Yinghong Yu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(1), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26010391 - 4 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1713
Abstract
Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) plays a key role in the development of plants and exists in a wide variety of species. Research on the metabolic activities of PEP in plants has received increasing attention. PEP regulates multiple processes in plant growth and development. This article [...] Read more.
Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) plays a key role in the development of plants and exists in a wide variety of species. Research on the metabolic activities of PEP in plants has received increasing attention. PEP regulates multiple processes in plant growth and development. This article provides a comprehensive summary of these pathways, including embryo formation, root development, synthesis of secondary metabolites, and the formation of lignification. We also summarize new findings, including PEP’s role in nodule energy sensing and carbon allocation under the influence of ozone. This review displays the complex and differential regulatory pathways in plant growth and development and provides a reference for basic and applied research on PEP metabolism in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies)
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Other

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14 pages, 505 KiB  
Perspective
Phosphoproteomics: Advances in Research on Cadmium-Exposed Plants
by Deyvid Novaes Marques, Fernando Angelo Piotto and Ricardo Antunes Azevedo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(22), 12431; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252212431 - 19 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1245
Abstract
With the increasing concern on heavy metal contamination in agriculture and other environmental settings, unraveling the mechanisms of cadmium (Cd) tolerance and response in plants has become highly important. Ongoing plant Cd research over the years has focused on strategic and relevant aspects, [...] Read more.
With the increasing concern on heavy metal contamination in agriculture and other environmental settings, unraveling the mechanisms of cadmium (Cd) tolerance and response in plants has become highly important. Ongoing plant Cd research over the years has focused on strategic and relevant aspects, including molecular, biochemical, and physiological processes. From this perspective, phosphoproteomics appears to be an innovative and powerful approach to investigating plant responses to Cd stress. Here, we summarize progress in plant Cd research across different plant species regarding large-scale phosphoproteomic investigations. Some studies revealed major proteins participating in detoxification, stress signaling, and metabolism, along with their regulation through phosphorylation, which modulates the plant’s defense against Cd. However, many pathways remain unexplored. Expanding these studies will help our ability to alleviate Cd stress and provide further information concerning involved mechanisms. Our purpose is to inspire researchers to further explore the use of phosphoproteomics in unraveling such complex mechanisms of Cd tolerance and response across various plant species, with the ultimate aim of enhancing strategies for mitigating Cd stress in agriculture and polluted environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring Abiotic Stress in Plants: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies)
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