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Abiotic Stress in Plants, 2nd Edition
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Abiotic Stress in Plants, 2nd Edition

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 October 2026 | Viewed by 2424

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiujun Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Mathematics and Statistics, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
2. Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: plant genomics; plant stress response; single-cell genomics; gene regulatory network; regulatory mechanism; multi-omics integration; next-generation sequencing; deep learning; bioinformatics; systems biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are subjected to a multitude of environmental challenges, which ultimately impact their growth and development, and consequently affect crop yields. In the initial stages of environmental stress, an uncontrolled production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in oxidative stress, which ultimately leads to cell death. To cope with the environmental constraints, plants develop a highly sensitive defence mechanism, which enables them to sense and respond to these constraints via enzymatic and non-enzymatic defence mechanisms, in close collaboration with phytohormones. This Special Issue aims to foster a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant responses to abiotic stress. Further research in this field is thus required at the molecular, cellular, physiological, epigenetic, hormonal signalling, morphological, yield and final ecological levels. This Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) welcomes the latest research contributions on plant responses to abiotic stress and proposals for novel solutions to enhance the adaptability of plants to environmental stress. We particularly welcome bioinformatics studies that integrate multi-omics big data, advanced statistical analysis, and artificial intelligence approaches to decode complex stress-response networks and to develop innovative strategies for improving plant resilience under abiotic stress.

Dr. Xiujun Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • abiotic stress
  • ROS
  • redox
  • antioxidants
  • phytohormones
  • ethylene
  • plant stress eco-physiology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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21 pages, 5166 KB  
Article
Glycine Betaine-Induced Metabolic Responses Under Heat and Cold Stress in Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa
by Leonardo de Almeida Oliveira, Nga Thi Thu Nguyen, Darel Kenth Solde Antesco, Maryam Dabirimirhosseinlo, Naoki Terada, Atsushi Sanada and Kaihei Koshio
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(9), 3811; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27093811 - 24 Apr 2026
Viewed by 267
Abstract
Temperature extremes represent a major constraint for the cultivation of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa), a tropical crop increasingly exposed to heat waves and chilling events under climate change. Glycine betaine (GB) is a widely studied osmoprotectant in [...] Read more.
Temperature extremes represent a major constraint for the cultivation of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa), a tropical crop increasingly exposed to heat waves and chilling events under climate change. Glycine betaine (GB) is a widely studied osmoprotectant in plants, yet its influence on metabolic responses of passion fruit under contrasting temperature stresses remains poorly characterized. This study investigated the effects of exogenous GB on primary metabolite profiles of passion fruit seedlings subjected to heat (25, 35, and 45 °C) and cold (25, 15, and 5 °C) conditions. Seedlings were treated with GB (100 mM) or left untreated, and leaf metabolites were quantified using GC–MS-based metabolomics. Heat exposure was associated with pronounced changes in amino acids, organic acids, sugars, polyamines, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), while GB-treated plants showed altered levels of proline, GABA, polyamines, and selected tricarboxylic acid intermediates. Under cold conditions, several amino acids and organic acids decreased, whereas soluble sugars accumulated, particularly in GB-treated plants. Principal component analysis revealed distinct metabolic configurations under heat and cold treatments and indicated that GB modified metabolite profiles in a stress-dependent manner rather than restoring control-like states. These findings describe how GB is associated with shifts in central carbon and nitrogen metabolism under contrasting temperature regimes, providing a metabolomic perspective on stress-related metabolic adjustments in passion fruit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants, 2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 2936 KB  
Article
Coordinated Antioxidant and Physiological Responses at Flowering Promote Yield Stability in Salinity-Stressed Barley Genotypes
by Faiza Boussora, Sihem Ben Ali, Tebra Triki, Amna Ghanmi, Mohamed Bagues, Ali Ferchichi and Ferdaous Guasmi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(5), 2454; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27052454 - 7 Mar 2026
Viewed by 501
Abstract
Salinity stress severely limits barley production by disrupting physiological and biochemical processes critical for growth and yield. Although numerous studies have examined individual physiological or antioxidant responses to salinity, an integrated multivariate understanding of how these mechanisms collectively contribute to yield stability at [...] Read more.
Salinity stress severely limits barley production by disrupting physiological and biochemical processes critical for growth and yield. Although numerous studies have examined individual physiological or antioxidant responses to salinity, an integrated multivariate understanding of how these mechanisms collectively contribute to yield stability at the flowering stage remains limited. This study aimed to elucidate the integrated antioxidant and physiological mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance in barley genotypes during flowering. Barley plants were subjected to controlled salinity treatments, and a comprehensive set of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity indices, physiological traits, and yield components were measured. Multivariate analyses, including redundancy analysis (RDA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR), identified key traits contributing to yield stability under salinity. Multivariate analyses revealed also genotype-specific physiological strategies underlying contrasting salinity tolerance levels. Antioxidant defenses, such as total phenolics, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, and α-tocopherol, along with osmotic regulators like proline and soluble sugars, were closely associated with improved water status and reduced oxidative damage. These coordinated responses correlated strongly with yield components, including thousand-grain weight and main spike seed number. Notably, this study provides new insights into the predictive relevance of selected biochemical and physiological markers for yield performance under salt stress using PLSR at the flowering stage. PLSR further demonstrated the high predictive power of a limited subset of biochemical and physiological markers for yield traits under salt stress. Collectively, these findings reveal that the interplay between antioxidant machinery and osmotic adjustment at flowering is critical for barley resilience to salinity, providing valuable physiological markers to inform breeding strategies aimed at improving salt tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 7922 KB  
Article
Overexpression of the Pyrus sinkiangensis LEA4 Gene Enhances the Tolerance of Broussonetia papyrifera to the Low Temperature During Overwintering
by Xiaoxia Bao, Xueying Yang, Xue Wang, Hongliang Xin, Qianqin Li, Saisai Wang, Wenwen Xia and Jin Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(2), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27020688 - 9 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 529 | Correction
Abstract
Korla fragrant pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis), valued for its unique flavor, suffers from freezing damage in its native Xinjiang. Previous studies indicated a strong correlation between low-temperature stress and the expression of LEA genes, particularly PsLEA4. This study cloned PsLEA4 from [...] Read more.
Korla fragrant pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis), valued for its unique flavor, suffers from freezing damage in its native Xinjiang. Previous studies indicated a strong correlation between low-temperature stress and the expression of LEA genes, particularly PsLEA4. This study cloned PsLEA4 from P. sinkiangensis and overexpressed it in paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera). The encoded 368-amino-acid protein is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. Under −4 °C stress, the proline and soluble protein contents in the overexpressing lines increased to 1.21-fold and 1.36-fold, respectively, compared to the wild type, while relative water content (RWC) reached 1.58-fold. And catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities increased by 9%, 16%, and 38%, respectively. During overwintering, the transgenic line exhibited soluble protein content and RWC at 1.78-fold and 1.49-fold compared to those of the wild type, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative electrolyte leakage (REL) levels were only 66% and 63% of the wild type, while CAT and POD activities reached 1.87-fold, and SOD activity peaked at 2.49-fold. These adaptations were associated with improved cold tolerance and with bud break occurring 7–10 days earlier than in WT the following year. These findings could help to understand the molecular mechanisms of P. sinkiangensis for overwintering and provide new genetic resources to breed varieties of pear that can resist cold temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants, 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 5588 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Divergence of the Chloride Channel (CLC) Gene Family in Autotetraploid Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
by Yanjun Fang, Guangzhi Jiang, Pingping Du, Jiayin Wang, Huan He, Hongfei Li, Hongbin Li, Fei Wang and Quanliang Xie
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(23), 11442; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311442 - 26 Nov 2025
Viewed by 738
Abstract
Chloride channel proteins (CLCs) are essential anion transporters involved in plant growth, osmotic regulation, and ion homeostasis. However, their genome-wide characterization in tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) remains unexplored. In this study, a total of 35 CLC family members were identified and [...] Read more.
Chloride channel proteins (CLCs) are essential anion transporters involved in plant growth, osmotic regulation, and ion homeostasis. However, their genome-wide characterization in tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) remains unexplored. In this study, a total of 35 CLC family members were identified and underwent comprehensive bioinformatic analyses. Phylogenetic and structural analyses divided them into six subfamilies and two subclasses based on conserved residues such as GxGIPE. Members within the same subclass shared conserved domains and similar motif patterns. Analysis of duplication events indicated that 48 segmental duplications were the primary driving force behind the expansion of this gene family. Promoter analysis revealed abundant light, hormone, and stress-responsive cis-elements, suggesting multiple regulatory functions. Gene expression profiling demonstrated that salt, drought stress, and ABA treatment significantly induced the expression levels of some genes. Among them, MsCLC2 and MsCLC18 from Group c exhibited more than fivefold upregulation under both salt and drought stress, significantly higher than other members. Subcellular localization confirmed MsCLC18 on the plasma membrane, potentially regulating Cl− efflux through a Cl−/H+ antiporter mechanism to alleviate Cl− toxicity. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the function study of CLC genes in alfalfa and offer new insights into the molecular evolution of polyploid plants under abiotic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants, 2nd Edition)
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