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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 5379

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Prof. Dr. Mengzhu Lu

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Key Laboratory of Modern Silvicultural Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Interests: molecular biology; cell differentiation; PCD; wood formation

Dr. Shijiang Cao

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Guest Editor

College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: forest molecular biology; tree physiology; plant developmental biology; plant-microbe interactions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled "Plant Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress", aims to delve into the underlying genetic mechanisms and molecular processes that regulate plant adaption to environmental stress. Advanced molecular biology techniques, such as genome sequencing, gene expression profiling, and proteomics, enable researchers to gain insights into the intricate pathways and underlying molecular mechanisms of this process.

Moreover, this issue highlights the pivotal role of bioinformatics in plant adaptation research. Bioinformatics facilitates the management and analysis of extensive genomic datasets, enabling researchers to gain valuable insights into the intricate interaction between plants and their environment by integrating key genes, metabolic pathways, and signaling cascades within the context of drought, temperature, or light stress.

In summary, this Special Issue places a strong emphasis on enhancing our comprehension of plant adaptation to climate change through cutting-edge molecular biology and bioinformatic tools. We eagerly anticipate the active contribution of esteemed scholars and researchers to collectively advance this field.

Prof. Dr. Mengzhu Lu
Dr. Shijiang Cao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

plant stress response
molecular biology techniques
bioinformatics
genetic mechanisms
climate change

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 6268 KB

Open AccessArticle

Bioinformatics Analysis and Expression Profiling Under Abiotic Stress of the DREB Gene Family in Glycyrrhiza uralensis

by Linyuan Cheng, Nana Shi, Xiangrong Du, Teng Huang, Yaxin Zhang, Chenjie Zhao, Kun Zhao, Zirun Lin, Denglin Ma, Qiuling Li, Fei Wang, Hua Yao and Haitao Shen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(18), 9235; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26189235 - 22 Sep 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 471

Abstract

Glycyrrhiza uralensis is an important medicinal plant exhibiting strong tolerance to abiotic stresses, including drought and salinity. DREB (Dehydration-Responsive Element-Binding) transcription factors, key members of the AP2/ERF family, play crucial roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Based on transcriptome data, we identified 18 DREB transcription factors in G. uralensis, designated GuDREB1 to GuDREB18. Bioinformatics analysis revealed genomic sequences ranging from 534 to 2864 bp and coding sequence (CDS) lengths between 525 and 1509 bp. All GuDREB proteins contain a single AP2 domain, including the conserved YRG and RAYD elements, and were predicted to localize to the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the G. uralensis DREBs with 61 Arabidopsis thaliana DREBs into five subgroups, indicating evolutionary conservation. Promoter analysis detected seventeen stress-responsive cis-acting elements, encompassing hormone-responsive and abiotic stress-responsive motifs, suggesting diverse biological functions. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed GuDREB transcription in both aerial and underground parts. Drought stress induced varying degrees of GuDREB expression, confirming their involvement in stress responses. Notably, GuDREB10 expression increased significantly in underground parts, while GuDREB15 showed pronounced upregulation in aerial parts under drought; the GuDREB15 promoter contained the highest number of light-responsive elements (23), potentially explaining its aerial tissue specificity. Drought stress significantly increased abscisic acid (ABA) content. Underground parts exhibited higher initial sensitivity to drought, whereas aerial parts displayed a more sustained response; ABA levels overall showed an initial increase followed by a decline. This study expands the G. uralensis DREB gene database, provides a foundation for selecting stress-resistance genes, and offers insights into DREB functional roles in abiotic stress responses in this key medicinal species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress)

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16 pages, 1831 KB

Open AccessArticle

Overexpression of the Transcription Factor GmbZIP60 Increases Salt and Drought Tolerance in Soybean (Glycine max)

by Mengnan Chai, Fan Yang, Shuping Cai, Tingyu Liu, Xiaoyuan Xu, Youmei Huang, Xinpeng Xi, Jiahong Yang, Zhuangyuan Cao, Ling Sun, Danlin Dou, Xunlian Fang, Maokai Yan and Hanyang Cai

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3455; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073455 - 7 Apr 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1174

Abstract

The regulation of downstream responsive genes by transcription factors (TFs) is a critical step in the stress response system of plants. While bZIP transcription factors are known to play important roles in stress reactions, their functional characterization in soybeans remains limited. Here, we identified a soybean bZIP gene, GmbZIP60, which encodes a protein containing a typical bZIP domain with a basic region and a leucine zipper region. Subcellular localization studies confirmed that GmbZIP60 is localized in the nucleus. Expression analysis demonstrated that GmbZIP60 is induced by salt stress, drought stress, and various plant hormone treatments, including abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ETH), and methyl jasmonate acid (MeJA). Overexpressing GmbZIP60 (OE-GmbZIP60) in transgenic soybean and rice enhanced tolerance to both salt and drought stresses. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that the expression levels of abiotic stress-responsive genes were significantly higher in transgenic plants than in wild-type (WT) plants under stress conditions. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR (ChIP-qPCR) analysis further confirmed that GmbZIP60 directly binds to the promoters of abiotic stress-related genes induced by ABA, ETH, JA, and salicylic acid (SA). Overall, these findings revealed GmbZIP60 as a positive regulator of salt and drought stress tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress)

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22 pages, 7954 KB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Thionin Family in Rice (Oryza sativa) and Functional Characterization of OsTHION15 in Drought Stress and ABA Stress

by Maokai Yan, Mengnan Chai, Chang An, Xiaohu Jiang, Fan Yang, Xunlian Fang, Tingyu Liu, Yunfei Ju, Boping Tang, Hanyang Cai and Yuan Qin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3447; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073447 - 7 Apr 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1102

Abstract

The OsTHION family represents a class of cysteine-rich signal peptides widely recognized for their significant roles in plant disease resistance and immunity. While members of this family are known to be induced under various biotic and abiotic stresses, their responses to environmental stressors beyond disease resistance remain underexplored. This study investigates the evolution, expression patterns, and functional roles of the OsTHION gene family in rice (Oryza sativa) under diverse stress conditions. Using sequence data from the Phytozome database, we identified 44 OsTHION family members and classified them into four groups based on phylogenetic analysis. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that the promoter regions of OsTHION genes are enriched with regulatory elements associated with light response, hormone signaling, plant growth, and stress responses. The OsTHION genes exhibit complex organ-specific expression patterns, with OsTHION30 and OsTHION36 showing ubiquitous expression, while other members are highly expressed in specific tissues or developmental stages. Under drought, salt, and low-temperature stress, OsTHION genes undergo significant expression changes, underscoring their critical role in plant adaptation to environmental challenges. Notably, OsTHION15 was markedly upregulated under drought stress, and the Osthion15 mutant displayed heightened sensitivity to drought and ABA stress, confirming its pivotal role in stress resistance. RNA sequencing analysis identified many differentially expressed genes (DEGs), primarily enriched in pathways related to ribosomal function and plant hormone signaling, suggesting that OsTHION15 may regulate stress responses through multiple mechanisms. In summary, this study advances our understanding of the OsTHION gene family and highlights its intricate involvement in regulating rice growth, development, and environmental stress responses. These findings offer valuable insights and technical support for crop improvement, with potential applications in enhancing environmental adaptability and yield stability in crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress)

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15 pages, 2791 KB

Open AccessArticle

StTCTP Positively Regulates StSN2 to Enhance Drought Stress Tolerance in Potato by Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species

by Shifeng Liu, Feng Zhang, Haojie Feng, Xiyao Wang, Qiang Wang, Xianjun Lai and Lang Yan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062796 - 20 Mar 2025

Viewed by 852

Abstract

Drought is a negative agronomic effect that can lead to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Excessive drought can severely alter cell membrane fluidity and permeability, significantly reducing cell viability. The Gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis (Snakin/GASA) gene family has an important role as antioxidants in inhibiting the accumulation of ROS and improving crop drought resistance. However, the regulatory mechanism of potato StSnakin-2 (StSN2) in response to drought, along with how StSN2 expression is regulated, is not well understood. In this study, we found that StSN2 was induced by drought. Overexpression of StSN2 significantly increased drought tolerance, whereas silencing StSN2 increased sensitivity to drought. Overexpression of StSN2 resulted in higher antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)) activity, and lowered hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation during drought stress. Also, overexpression of StSN2 increased the relative water content (RWC) of leaves and reduced the water loss in leaves. We screened the upstream regulatory protein translation-controlled tumor protein (StTCTP) of StSN2 through DNA pull-down combined with mass spectrometry. Yeast one-hybrid (YIH), electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and luciferase reporting assay (LUC) indicated that StTCTP binds the StSN2 promoter. Like StSN2, StTCTP was highly expressed in response to drought. Overexpression of StTCTP increased the photosynthetic rate and CAT enzyme activity, and lowered H₂O₂ and MDA accumulation during drought. Meanwhile, overexpression of StTCTP increased leaf RWC and reduced water loss. Our research strongly suggested that StSN2 effectively cleared ROS and significantly boosted the drought resistance of potatoes. Furthermore, as a transcriptional activator of StSN2, StTCTP, much like StSN2, also enhanced the potato’s drought tolerance. The results provided a foundation for the further study of StSN2 regulatory mechanisms under drought stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress)

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19 pages, 5658 KB

Open AccessArticle

Selection and Validation of Reference Genes in Clinacanthus nutans Under Abiotic Stresses, MeJA Treatment, and in Different Tissues

by Chang An, Lin Lu, Yixin Yao, Ruoyu Liu, Yan Cheng, Yanxiang Lin, Yuan Qin and Ping Zheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2483; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062483 - 11 Mar 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 945

Abstract

Clinacanthus nutans is a valuable traditional medicinal plant that contains enriched active compounds such as triterpenoids and flavonoids. Understanding the accuulation process of these secondary metabolites in C. nutans requires exploring gene expression regulation under abiotic stresses and hormonal stimuli. qRT-PCR is a powerful method for gene expression analysis, with the selection of suitable reference genes being paramount. However, reports on stably expressed reference genes in C. nutans and even across the entire family Acanthaceae are limited. In this study, we evaluated the expression stability of 12 candidate reference genes (CnUBQ, CnRPL, CnRPS, CnPTB1, CnTIP41, CnACT, CnUBC, CnGAPDH, Cn18S, CnCYP, CnEF1α, and CnTUB) in C. nutans across different tissues and under abiotic stresses and MeJA treatment using three programs (geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper). The integrated ranking results indicated that CnUBC, CnRPL, and CnCYP were the most stably expressed genes across different tissues. Under abiotic stress conditions, CnUBC, CnRPL, and CnEF1α were the most stable, while under MeJA treatment, CnRPL, CnEF1α, and CnGAPDH exhibited the highest stability. Additionally, CnRPL, CnUBC, and CnEF1α were the most stable reference genes across all tested samples, whereas CnGAPDH was the least stable. CnRPL, consistently ranking among the top three most stable genes, may therefore serve as an ideal reference gene for qRT-PCR analysis in C. nutans. To further validate the selected reference genes, we assessed the expression of two key biosynthetic genes, CnPAL and CnHMGR. The results confirmed that using the most stable reference genes yielded expression patterns consistent with biological expectations, while using unstable reference genes led to significant deviations. These findings offer valuable insights for accurately quantifying target genes via qRT-PCR in C. nutans, facilitating investigations into the mechanisms underlying active compound accumulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress)

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