ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress

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: closed (14 July 2023) | Viewed by 38684

Special Issue Editors

College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
Interests: natural product; plant immune inducer; bioherbicide; plant–microbe interactions; stress signaling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To date, most of the research addressed to increasing crop production and performance has been based on evaluating the current condition of crops using destructive or non-destructive methods. It is time to go a step further and try to develop methods, tools, and equipment to predict the changes that could be caused by abiotic stresses. This will make it possible to reduce production losses and increase crop tolerance by applying the right external factors at the right time.

As a guest editor of the Special Issue "New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress" of IJMS, I would like to invite you to contribute with the latest information on stress mechanisms in plants at biochemical, physiological, molecular, and genetic levels. Further, contributions describing the most advanced methods, protocols, and devices for improving plant adaptation to stress or for predicting and monitoring stress in plants are welcome. The deadline for manuscript submission is 30.12.2022.

Prof. Dr. Hazem M. Kalaji
Prof. Dr. Shiguo Chen
Guest Editors

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

  • plant abiotic stress
  • tolerance
  • heat
  • cold
  • drought
  • salinity

Published Papers (19 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

19 pages, 3812 KiB  
Article
Effects of Biological Nitrogen Metabolism on Glufosinate-Susceptible and -Resistant Goosegrass (Eleusine indica L.)
by Qiyu Luo, Hao Fu, Fang Hu, Shiguo Li, Qiqi Chen, Shangming Peng, Cunyi Yang, Yaoguang Liu and Yong Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(18), 13791; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241813791 - 07 Sep 2023
Viewed by 883
Abstract
Glufosinate is a broad-spectrum herbicide used to control most weeds in agriculture worldwide. Goosegrass (Eleusine indica L.) is one of the top ten malignant weeds across the world, showing high tolerance to glufosinate via different mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. [...] Read more.
Glufosinate is a broad-spectrum herbicide used to control most weeds in agriculture worldwide. Goosegrass (Eleusine indica L.) is one of the top ten malignant weeds across the world, showing high tolerance to glufosinate via different mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. This study revealed that nitrogen metabolism could be a target-resistant site, providing clues to finally clarify the mechanism of glufosinate resistance in resistant goosegrass populations. Compared to susceptible goosegrass (NX), the resistant goosegrass (AUS and CS) regarding the stress of glufosinate showed stronger resistance with lower ammonia contents, higher target enzyme GS (glutamine synthetase) activity, and lower GOGAT (glutamine 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase) activity. The GDH (glutamate dehydrogenase) activity of another pathway increased, but its gene expression was downregulated in resistant goosegrass (AUS). Analyzing the transcriptome and proteome data of goosegrass under glufosinate stress at 36 h showed that the KEGG pathway of the nitrogen metabolism was enriched in glufosinate-susceptible goosegrass (NX), but not in glufosinate-resistant goosegrass (CS and AUS). Several putative target genes involved in glufosinate stress countermeasures were identified. This study provides specific insights into the nitrogen metabolism of resistant goosegrass, and gives a basis for future functional verification of glufosinate-tolerance genes in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 7904 KiB  
Article
Water-Deficit Stress in the Epiphytic Elkhorn Fern: Insight into Photosynthetic Response
by Jakub Oliwa, Andrzej Skoczowski, Grzegorz Rut and Andrzej Kornaś
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12064; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512064 - 27 Jul 2023
Viewed by 637
Abstract
Progressive climate changes cause disturbance of water relations in tropical rainforests, where epiphytic ferns are an important element of biodiversity. In these plants, the efficiency of photosynthesis is closely related to the efficiency of water transport. In addition, due to the lack of [...] Read more.
Progressive climate changes cause disturbance of water relations in tropical rainforests, where epiphytic ferns are an important element of biodiversity. In these plants, the efficiency of photosynthesis is closely related to the efficiency of water transport. In addition, due to the lack of contact with the soil, epiphytes are extremely susceptible to water-deficit stress. The aim of this experiment was to determine the response of the photosynthetic apparatus of Platycerium bifurcatum to a 6-week water deficit. The hydration and pigment composition of leaves were determined using reflectance spectroscopy and epifluorescence microscopy. Chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics parameters, fluorescence induction curves (OJIP), low-temperature fluorescence curves at 77 K and proline concentration were analyzed at seven time points. After a decrease in leaf hydration by 10–15%, there were disturbances in the oxidation–reduction balance, especially in the initial photochemical reactions, a rapid decrease in plant vitality (PI) and significant fluctuations in chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters. The relative size of PSI antenna structures compared to PSII decreased in the following weeks of water deficit. Changes in photochemical reactions were accompanied by a decrease in gross photosynthesis and an increase in proline concentration. Changes in the functioning of photosynthesis light phase and the pigment composition of leaves are related to the resistance of elkhorn fern to long-term water deficit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3396 KiB  
Article
Transcriptomic Profiling of Tomato Leaves Identifies Novel Transcription Factors Responding to Dehydration Stress
by Shuchao Dong, Jiayi Ling, Liuxia Song, Liping Zhao, Yinlei Wang and Tongmin Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9725; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119725 - 03 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2046
Abstract
Drought is among the most challenging environmental restrictions to tomatoes (Solanum lycopersi-cum), which causes dehydration of the tissues and results in massive loss of yield. Breeding for dehydration-tolerant tomatoes is a pressing issue as a result of global climate change that leads to [...] Read more.
Drought is among the most challenging environmental restrictions to tomatoes (Solanum lycopersi-cum), which causes dehydration of the tissues and results in massive loss of yield. Breeding for dehydration-tolerant tomatoes is a pressing issue as a result of global climate change that leads to increased duration and frequency of droughts. However, the key genes involved in dehydration response and tolerance in tomato are not widely known, and genes that can be targeted for dehydration-tolerant tomato breeding remains to be discovered. Here, we compared phenotypes and transcriptomic profiles of tomato leaves between control and dehydration conditions. We show that dehydration decreased the relative water content of tomato leaves after 2 h of dehydration treatment; however, it promoted the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and ion leakage ratio after 4 h and 12 h of dehydration, respectively. Moreover, dehydration stress triggered oxidative stress as we detected significant increases in H2O2 and O2− levels. Simultaneously, dehydration enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes including peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Genome-wide RNA sequencing of tomato leaves treated with or without dehydration (control) identified 8116 and 5670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after 2 h and 4 h of dehydration, respectively. These DEGs included genes involved in translation, photosynthesis, stress response, and cytoplasmic translation. We then focused specifically on DEGs annotated as transcription factors (TFs). RNA-seq analysis identified 742 TFs as DEGs by comparing samples dehydrated for 2 h with 0 h control, while among all the DEGs detected after 4 h of dehydration, only 499 of them were TFs. Furthermore, we performed real-time quantitative PCR analyses and validated expression patterns of 31 differentially expressed TFs of NAC, AP2/ERF, MYB, bHLH, bZIP, WRKY, and HB families. In addition, the transcriptomic data revealed that expression levels of six drought-responsive marker genes were upregulated by de-hydration treatment. Collectively, our findings not only provide a solid foundation for further functional characterization of dehydration-responsive TFs in tomatoes but may also benefit the improvement of dehydration/drought tolerance in tomatoes in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3856 KiB  
Article
Effects of Low Temperature on Pedicel Abscission and Auxin Synthesis Key Genes of Tomato
by Sida Meng, Hengzuo Xiang, Xiaoru Yang, Yunzhu Ye, Leilei Han, Tao Xu, Yufeng Liu, Feng Wang, Changhua Tan, Mingfang Qi and Tianlai Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(11), 9186; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24119186 - 24 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1148
Abstract
Cold stress usually causes the abscission of floral organs and a decline in fruit setting rate, seriously reducing tomato yield. Auxin is one of the key hormones that affects the abscission of plant floral organs; the YUCCA (YUC) family is a [...] Read more.
Cold stress usually causes the abscission of floral organs and a decline in fruit setting rate, seriously reducing tomato yield. Auxin is one of the key hormones that affects the abscission of plant floral organs; the YUCCA (YUC) family is a key gene in the auxin biosynthesis pathway, but there are few research reports on the abscission of tomato flower organs. This experiment found that, under low temperature stress, the expression of auxin synthesis genes increased in stamens but decreased in pistils. Low temperature treatment decreased pollen vigor and pollen germination rate. Low night temperature reduced the tomato fruit setting rate and led to parthenocarpy, and the treatment effect was most obvious in the early stage of tomato pollen development. The abscission rate of tomato pTRV-Slfzy3 and pTRV-Slfzy5 silenced plants was higher than that of the control, which is the key auxin synthesis gene affecting the abscission rate. The expression of Solyc07g043580 was down-regulated after low night temperature treatment. Solyc07g043580 encodes the bHLH-type transcription factor SlPIF4. It has been reported that PIF4 regulates the expression of auxin synthesis and synthesis genes, and is a key protein in the interaction between low temperature stress and light in regulating plant development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 7160 KiB  
Article
Griseofulvin Inhibits Root Growth by Targeting Microtubule-Associated Proteins Rather Tubulins in Arabidopsis
by Yanjing Guo, Jingjing Li, Jiale Shi, Liru Mi, Jing Zhang, Su Han, Wei Liu, Dan Cheng, Sheng Qiang, Hazem M. Kalaji and Shiguo Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8692; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24108692 - 12 May 2023
Viewed by 1327
Abstract
Griseofulvin was considered an effective agent for cancer therapy in past decades. Although the negative effects of griseofulvin on microtubule stability are known, the exact target and mechanism of action in plants remain unclear. Here, we used trifluralin, a well-known herbicide targeting microtubules, [...] Read more.
Griseofulvin was considered an effective agent for cancer therapy in past decades. Although the negative effects of griseofulvin on microtubule stability are known, the exact target and mechanism of action in plants remain unclear. Here, we used trifluralin, a well-known herbicide targeting microtubules, as a reference and revealed the differences in root tip morphology, reactive oxygen species production (ROS), microtubule dynamics, and transcriptome analysis between Arabidopsis treated with griseofulvin and trifluralin to elucidate the mechanism of root growth inhibition by griseofulvin. Like trifluralin, griseofulvin inhibited root growth and caused significant swelling of the root tip due to cell death induced by ROS. However, the presence of griseofulvin and trifluralin caused cell swelling in the transition zone (TZ) and meristematic zone (MZ) of root tips, respectively. Further observations revealed that griseofulvin first destroyed cortical microtubules in the cells of the TZ and early elongation zone (EZ) and then gradually affected the cells of other zones. The first target of trifluralin is the microtubules in the root MZ cells. Transcriptome analysis showed that griseofulvin mainly affected the expression of microtubule-associated protein (MAP) genes rather than tubulin genes, whereas trifluralin significantly suppressed the expression of αβ-tubulin genes. Finally, it was proposed that griseofulvin could first reduce the expression of MAP genes, meanwhile increasing the expression of auxin and ethylene-related genes to disrupt microtubule alignment in root tip TZ and early EZ cells, induce dramatic ROS production, and cause severe cell death, eventually leading to cell swelling in the corresponding zones and inhibition of root growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

9 pages, 1177 KiB  
Communication
Rapid Generation of Barley Homozygous Transgenic Lines Based on Microspore Culture: HvPR1 Overexpression as an Example
by Zhiwei Chen, Qi Jiang, Guimei Guo, Qiufang Shen, Jun Yang, Ertao Wang, Guoping Zhang, Ruiju Lu and Chenghong Liu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4945; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054945 - 03 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1430
Abstract
Obtaining homozygous lines from transgenic plants is an important step for phenotypic evaluations, but the selection of homozygous plants is time-consuming and laborious. The process would be significantly shortened if anther or microspore culture could be completed in one generation. In this study, [...] Read more.
Obtaining homozygous lines from transgenic plants is an important step for phenotypic evaluations, but the selection of homozygous plants is time-consuming and laborious. The process would be significantly shortened if anther or microspore culture could be completed in one generation. In this study, we obtained 24 homozygous doubled haploid (DH) transgenic plants entirely by microspore culture from one T0 transgenic plant overexpressing the gene HvPR1 (pathogenesis-related-1). Nine of the doubled haploids grew to maturity and produced seeds. qRCR (quantitative real-time PCR) validation showed that the HvPR1 gene was expressed differentially even among different DH1 plants (T2) from the same DH0 line (T1). Phenotyping analysis suggested that the overexpression of HvPR1 inhibited nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) only under low nitrogen treatment. The established method of producing homozygous transgenic lines will enable the rapid evaluation of transgenic lines for gene function studies and trait evaluation. As an example, the HvPR1 overexpression of DH lines also could be used for further analysis of NUE-related research in barley. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3247 KiB  
Article
Functional Characterization of the CpNAC1 Promoter and Gene from Chimonanthus praecox in Arabidopsis
by Xiaoyan Zhao, Jiahui Zhao, Qing Yang, Min Huang, Yangjing Song, Mingyang Li, Shunzhao Sui and Daofeng Liu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 542; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010542 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1361
Abstract
The NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) gene family is one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor families. Its members have various biological functions that play important roles in regulating plant growth and development and in responding to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their [...] Read more.
The NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) gene family is one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor families. Its members have various biological functions that play important roles in regulating plant growth and development and in responding to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their functions in woody plants are not fully understood. In this study, we isolated an NAC family member, the CpNAC1 promoter and gene, from wintersweet. CpNAC1 was localized to the nucleus and showed transcriptional activation activity. qRT-PCR analyses revealed that the gene was expressed in almost all tissues tested, with the highest levels found in mature leaves and flower buds. Moreover, its expression was induced by various abiotic stresses and ABA treatment. Its expression patterns were further confirmed in CpNAC1pro:GUS (β-glucuronidase) plants. Among all the transgenic lines, CpNAC1pro-D2 showed high GUS histochemical staining and activity in different tissues of Arabidopsis. Furthermore, its GUS activity significantly increased in response to various abiotic stresses and ABA treatment. This may be related to the stress-related cis-elements, such as ABRE and MYB, which clustered in the CpNAC1pro-D2 segment, suggesting that CpNAC1pro-D2 is the core segment that responds to abiotic stresses and ABA. In addition, CpNAC1-overexpressed Arabidopsis plants had weaker osmosis tolerance than the wild-type plants, demonstrating that CpNAC1 may negatively regulate the drought stress response in transgenic Arabidopsis. Our results provide a foundation for further analyses of NAC family genes in wintersweet, and they broaden our knowledge of the roles that NAC family genes may play in woody plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2290 KiB  
Article
Identification and Expression Analysis of the NPF Genes in Cotton
by Qiang Dong, Guoxin Wang, Asif Iqbal, Noor Muhammad, Xiangru Wang, Huiping Gui, Hengheng Zhang, Mirezhatijiang Kayoumu, Xiaotong Li, Xiling Zhang and Meizhen Song
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14262; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214262 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1348
Abstract
The NPF (NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER FAMILY) transports various substrates, including nitrogen (N), which is essential for plant growth and development. Although many NPF homologs have been identified in various plants, limited studies on these proteins have been reported in cotton. This study [...] Read more.
The NPF (NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER FAMILY) transports various substrates, including nitrogen (N), which is essential for plant growth and development. Although many NPF homologs have been identified in various plants, limited studies on these proteins have been reported in cotton. This study identified 75, 71, and 150 NPF genes in Gossypium arboreum, G. raimondii, and G. hirsutum, respectively, via genome-wide analyses. The phylogenetic tree indicated that cotton NPF genes are subdivided into eight subgroups, closely clustered with Arabidopsis orthologues. The chromosomal location, gene structure, motif compositions, and cis-elements have been displayed. Moreover, the collinearity analysis showed that whole-genome duplication event has played an important role in the expansion and diversification of the NPF gene family in cotton. According to the transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses, several GhNPFs were induced by the nitrogen deficiency treatment. Additional functional experiments revealed that virus-induced silencing (VIGS) of the GhNPF6.14 gene affects the growth and N absorption and accumulation in cotton. Thus, this study lays the foundation for further functional characterization of NPF genes in cotton. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 4265 KiB  
Article
Isolation and Functional Analysis of VvWRKY28, a Vitis vinifera WRKY Transcription Factor Gene, with Functions in Tolerance to Cold and Salt Stress in Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana
by Wei Liu, Xiaoqi Liang, Weijia Cai, Hao Wang, Xu Liu, Longfei Cheng, Penghui Song, Guijie Luo and Deguo Han
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 13418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113418 - 02 Nov 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2036
Abstract
The grape (Vitis vinifera L.) not only has a long history of cultivation, but also has rich nutritional value and high economic value. However, grapes often face many threats in the growth process. For example, low temperature and salt stress restrict the [...] Read more.
The grape (Vitis vinifera L.) not only has a long history of cultivation, but also has rich nutritional value and high economic value. However, grapes often face many threats in the growth process. For example, low temperature and salt stress restrict the growth status, yield, and geographical distribution of grapes. WRKY, as one of the largest transcription factor (TF) families in plants, participates in the response of plants to stress. VvWRKY28, a new zinc finger type transcriptional regulator gene, was isolated from Beichun (V. vinifera × V.amurensis) in this study. From the subcellular localization results, it can be concluded that VvWRKY28 was localized in the nucleus. The expression of VvWRKY28 was enriched in leaves (young and mature leaves), and cold and high salt conditions can induce high expression of VvWRKY28. After being transferred into Arabidopsis, VvWRKY28 greatly improved the tolerance of Arabidopsis to low temperature and high salt and also changed many physiological and biochemical indicators of transgenic Arabidopsis to cope with cold and high salt stimulation. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased, but for chlorophyll and proline, their content increased, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were improved. In addition, under cold stress, binding with cis-acting elements promotes the expression of downstream genes related to cold stress (RAB18, COR15A, ERD10, PIF4, COR47, and ICS1). Moreover, it also plays an active role in regulating the expression of genes related to salt stress (NCED3, SnRK2.4, CAT2, SOD1, SOS2, and P5CS1) under salt stress. Therefore, these results provide evidence that VvWRKY28 may play a role in the process of plant cold and salt stress tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6311 KiB  
Article
A Heat Shock Transcription Factor TrHSFB2a of White Clover Negatively Regulates Drought, Heat and Salt Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis
by Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Tong Jia, Tao Tang, Muhammad Anwar, Asif Ali, Muhammad Jawad Hassan, Youzhi Zhang, Qilin Tang and Yan Peng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(21), 12769; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232112769 - 23 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1824
Abstract
Heat shock transcription factors (HSF) are divided into classes A, B and C. Class A transcription factors are generally recognized as transcriptional activators, while functional characterization of class B and C heat shock transcription factors have not been fully developed in most plant [...] Read more.
Heat shock transcription factors (HSF) are divided into classes A, B and C. Class A transcription factors are generally recognized as transcriptional activators, while functional characterization of class B and C heat shock transcription factors have not been fully developed in most plant species. We isolated and characterized a novel HSF transcription factor gene, TrHSFB2a (a class B HSF) gene, from the drought stress-sensitive forage crop species, white clover (Trifolium repens). TrHSFB2a was highly homologous to MtHSFB2b, CarHSFB2a, AtHSFB2b and AtHSFB2a. The expression of TrHSFB2a was strongly induced by drought (PEG6000 15% w/v), high temperature (35 °C) and salt stresses (200 mM L−1 NaCl) in white clover, while subcellular localization analysis showed that it is a nuclear protein. Overexpression of the white clover gene TrHSFB2a in Arabidopsis significantly reduced fresh and dry weight, relative water contents (RWC), maximum photosynthesis efficiency (Fv/Fm) and performance index on the absorption basis (PIABS), while it promoted leaf senescence, relative electrical conductivity (REC) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to a wild type under drought, heat and salt stress conditions of Arabidopsis plants. The silencing of its native homolog (AtHSFB2a) by RNA interference in Arabidopsis thaliana showed opposite trends by significantly increasing fresh and dry weights, RWC, maximum photosynthesis efficiency (Fv/Fm) and performance index on the absorption basis (PIABS) and reducing REC and MDA contents under drought, heat and salt stress conditions compared to wild type Arabidopsis plants. These phenotypic and physiological indicators suggested that the TrHSFB2a of white clover functions as a negative regulator of heat, salt and drought tolerance. The bioinformatics analysis showed that TrHSFB2a contained the core B3 repression domain (BRD) that has been reported as a repressor activator domain in other plant species that might repress the activation of the heat shock-inducible genes required in the stress tolerance process in plants. The present study explores one of the potential causes of drought and heat sensitivity in white clover that can be overcome to some extent by silencing the TrHSFB2a gene in white clover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 4479 KiB  
Article
Coronatine Enhances Chilling Tolerance of Tomato Plants by Inducing Chilling-Related Epigenetic Adaptations and Transcriptional Reprogramming
by Ziyan Liu, Zhuoyang Li, Shifeng Wu, Chunxin Yu, Xi Wang, Ye Wang, Zhen Peng, Yuerong Gao, Runzhi Li, Yuanyue Shen and Liusheng Duan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 10049; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231710049 - 02 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1561
Abstract
Low temperature is an important environmental factor limiting the widespread planting of tropical and subtropical crops. The application of plant regulator coronatine, which is an analog of Jasmonic acid (JA), is an effective approach to enhancing crop’s resistance to chilling stress and other [...] Read more.
Low temperature is an important environmental factor limiting the widespread planting of tropical and subtropical crops. The application of plant regulator coronatine, which is an analog of Jasmonic acid (JA), is an effective approach to enhancing crop’s resistance to chilling stress and other abiotic stresses. However, the function and mechanism of coronatine in promoting chilling resistance of tomato is unknown. In this study, coronatine treatment was demonstrated to significantly increase tomato chilling tolerance. Coronatine increases H3K4me3 modifications to make greater chromatin accessibility in multiple chilling-activated genes. Corresponding to that, the expression of CBFs, other chilling-responsive transcription factor (TF) genes, and JA-responsive genes is significantly induced by coronatine to trigger an extensive transcriptional reprogramming, thus resulting in a comprehensive chilling adaptation. These results indicate that coronatine enhances the chilling tolerance of tomato plants by inducing epigenetic adaptations and transcriptional reprogramming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 5715 KiB  
Article
Using the Maize Nested Association Mapping (NAM) Population to Partition Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Effects on Drought Stress Tolerance into Hormonal and Hydraulic Components
by Juan Manuel Ruiz-Lozano, Gabriela Quiroga, Gorka Erice, Jacob Pérez-Tienda, Ángel María Zamarreño, José María García-Mina and Ricardo Aroca
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(17), 9822; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23179822 - 29 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1523
Abstract
In this study, a first experiment was conducted with the objective of determining how drought stress alters the radial water flow and physiology in the whole maize nested association mapping (NAM) population and to find out which contrasting maize lines should be tested [...] Read more.
In this study, a first experiment was conducted with the objective of determining how drought stress alters the radial water flow and physiology in the whole maize nested association mapping (NAM) population and to find out which contrasting maize lines should be tested in a second experiment for their responses to drought in combination with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus. Emphasis was placed on determining the role of plant aquaporins and phytohormones in the responses of these contrasting maize lines to cope with drought stress. Results showed that both plant aquaporins and hormones are altered by the AM symbiosis and are highly involved in the physiological responses of maize plants to drought stress. The regulation by the AM symbiosis of aquaporins involved in water transport across cell membranes alters radial water transport in host plants. Hormones such as IAA, SA, ABA and jasmonates must be involved in this process either by regulating the own plant-AM fungus interaction and the activity of aquaporins, or by inducing posttranscriptional changes in these aquaporins, which in turns alter their water transport capacity. An intricate relationship between root hydraulic conductivity, aquaporins and phytohormones has been observed, revealing a complex network controlling water transport in maize roots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 2620 KiB  
Article
Mutations in Rht-B1 Locus May Negatively Affect Frost Tolerance in Bread Wheat
by Gabriella Szalai, Mihály Dernovics, Orsolya Kinga Gondor, Judit Tajti, Anna Borbála Molnár, Magdalena Anna Lejmel, Svetlana Misheva, Viktória Kovács, Magda Pál and Tibor Janda
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(14), 7969; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23147969 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1597
Abstract
The wheat semi-dwarfing genes Rht (Reduced height) are widely distributed among the contemporary wheat varieties. These genes also exert pleiotropic effects on plant tolerance towards various abiotic stressors. In this work, frost tolerance was studied in three near-isogenic [...] Read more.
The wheat semi-dwarfing genes Rht (Reduced height) are widely distributed among the contemporary wheat varieties. These genes also exert pleiotropic effects on plant tolerance towards various abiotic stressors. In this work, frost tolerance was studied in three near-isogenic lines of the facultative variety ‘April Bearded’ (AB), carrying the wild type allele Rht-B1a (tall phenotype), and the mutant alleles Rht-B1b (semi-dwarf) and Rht-B1c (dwarf), and was further compared with the tolerance of a typical winter type variety, ‘Mv Beres’. The level of freezing tolerance was decreasing in the order ‘Mv Beres’ > AB Rht-B1a > AB Rht-B1b > AB Rht-B1c. To explain the observed differences, cold acclimation-related processes were studied: the expression of six cold-related genes, the phenylpropanoid pathway, carbohydrates, amino acids, polyamines and compounds in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. To achieve this, a comprehensive approach was applied, involving targeted analyses and untargeted metabolomics screening with the help of gas chromatography/liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry setups. Several cold-related processes exhibited similar changes in these genotypes; indeed, the accumulation of eight putrescine and agmatine derivatives, 17 flavones and numerous oligosaccharides (max. degree of polymerization 18) was associated with the level of freezing tolerance in the ‘April Bearded’ lines. In summary, the mutant Rht alleles may further decrease the generally low frost tolerance of the Rht-B1a, and, based on the metabolomics study, the mechanisms of frost tolerance may differ for a typical winter variety and a facultative variety. Present results point to the complex nature of frost resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 21299 KiB  
Article
Natural 2-Amino-3-Methylhexanoic Acid as Plant Elicitor Inducing Resistance against Temperature Stress and Pathogen Attack
by He Wang, Jingjing Li, Qian Yang, Lan Wang, Jing Wang, Yaxin Zhang, Yanjing Guo, Rui Li, Ruiqi Zhang, Xiaorong Tao, Bernal E. Valverde, Sheng Qiang, Hazem M. Kalaji and Shiguo Chen
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(10), 5715; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23105715 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
2-Amino-3-methylhexanoic acid (AMHA) was synthetized as a non-natural amino acid more than 70 years ago; however, its possible function as an inducer of plant resistance has not been reported. Plant resistance inducers, also known as plant elicitors, are becoming a novel and important [...] Read more.
2-Amino-3-methylhexanoic acid (AMHA) was synthetized as a non-natural amino acid more than 70 years ago; however, its possible function as an inducer of plant resistance has not been reported. Plant resistance inducers, also known as plant elicitors, are becoming a novel and important development direction in crop protection and pest management. We found that free AMHA accumulated in the mycelia but not in fermentation broths of four fungal species, Magnaporthe oryzae and three Alternaria spp. We unequivocally confirmed that AMHA is a naturally occurring endogenous (2S, 3S)-α-amino acid, based on isolation, purification and structural analyses. Further experiments demonstrated that AMHA has potent activity-enhancing resistance against extreme temperature stresses in several plant species. It is also highly active against fungal, bacterial and viral diseases by inducing plant resistance. AMHA pretreatment strongly protected wheat against powdery mildew, Arabidopsis against Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 and tobacco against Tomato spotted wilt virus. AMHA exhibits a great potential to become a unique natural elicitor protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 2000 KiB  
Review
Multiple Ways of Nitric Oxide Production in Plants and Its Functional Activity under Abiotic Stress Conditions
by Chulpan R. Allagulova, Alsu R. Lubyanova and Azamat M. Avalbaev
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(14), 11637; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241411637 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2044
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous signaling molecule that plays an important role in plant ontogenesis and responses to different stresses. The most widespread abiotic stress factors limiting significantly plant growth and crop yield are drought, salinity, hypo-, hyperthermia, and an excess of [...] Read more.
Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous signaling molecule that plays an important role in plant ontogenesis and responses to different stresses. The most widespread abiotic stress factors limiting significantly plant growth and crop yield are drought, salinity, hypo-, hyperthermia, and an excess of heavy metal (HM) ions. Data on the accumulation of endogenous NO under stress factors and on the alleviation of their negative effects under exogenous NO treatments indicate the perspectives of its practical application to improve stress resistance and plant productivity. This requires fundamental knowledge of the NO metabolism and the mechanisms of its biological action in plants. NO generation occurs in plants by two main alternative mechanisms: oxidative or reductive, in spontaneous or enzymatic reactions. NO participates in plant development by controlling the processes of seed germination, vegetative growth, morphogenesis, flower transition, fruit ripening, and senescence. Under stressful conditions, NO contributes to antioxidant protection, osmotic adjustment, normalization of water balance, regulation of cellular ion homeostasis, maintenance of photosynthetic reactions, and growth processes of plants. NO can exert regulative action by inducing posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins changing the activity of different enzymes or transcriptional factors, modulating the expression of huge amounts of genes, including those related to stress tolerance. This review summarizes the current data concerning molecular mechanisms of NO production and its activity in plants during regulation of their life cycle and adaptation to drought, salinity, temperature stress, and HM ions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 676 KiB  
Review
Plants’ Response to Abiotic Stress: Mechanisms and Strategies
by Yan Zhang, Jing Xu, Ruofan Li, Yanrui Ge, Yufei Li and Ruili Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10915; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310915 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4495
Abstract
Abiotic stress is the adverse effect of any abiotic factor on a plant in a given environment, impacting plants’ growth and development. These stress factors, such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, are often interrelated or in conjunction with each other. Plants have [...] Read more.
Abiotic stress is the adverse effect of any abiotic factor on a plant in a given environment, impacting plants’ growth and development. These stress factors, such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, are often interrelated or in conjunction with each other. Plants have evolved mechanisms to sense these environmental challenges and make adjustments to their growth in order to survive and reproduce. In this review, we summarized recent studies on plant stress sensing and its regulatory mechanism, emphasizing signal transduction and regulation at multiple levels. Then we presented several strategies to improve plant growth under stress based on current progress. Finally, we discussed the implications of research on plant response to abiotic stresses for high-yielding crops and agricultural sustainability. Studying stress signaling and regulation is critical to understand abiotic stress responses in plants to generate stress-resistant crops and improve agricultural sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 2043 KiB  
Review
Genomics, Proteomics, and Metabolomics Approaches to Improve Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Tomato Plant
by Bindu Naik, Vijay Kumar, Sheikh Rizwanuddin, Mansi Chauhan, Megha Choudhary, Arun Kumar Gupta, Pankaj Kumar, Vivek Kumar, Per Erik Joakim Saris, Muzamil Ahmad Rather, Shuvam Bhuyan, Panchi Rani Neog, Sadhna Mishra and Sarvesh Rustagi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 3025; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24033025 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5712
Abstract
To explore changes in proteins and metabolites under stress circumstances, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics methods are used. In-depth research over the previous ten years has gradually revealed the fundamental processes of plants’ responses to environmental stress. Abiotic stresses, which include temperature extremes, water [...] Read more.
To explore changes in proteins and metabolites under stress circumstances, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics methods are used. In-depth research over the previous ten years has gradually revealed the fundamental processes of plants’ responses to environmental stress. Abiotic stresses, which include temperature extremes, water scarcity, and metal toxicity brought on by human activity and urbanization, are a major cause for concern, since they can result in unsustainable warming trends and drastically lower crop yields. Furthermore, there is an emerging reliance on agrochemicals. Stress is responsible for physiological transformations such as the formation of reactive oxygen, stomatal opening and closure, cytosolic calcium ion concentrations, metabolite profiles and their dynamic changes, expression of stress-responsive genes, activation of potassium channels, etc. Research regarding abiotic stresses is lacking because defense feedbacks to abiotic factors necessitate regulating the changes that activate multiple genes and pathways that are not properly explored. It is clear from the involvement of these genes that plant stress response and adaptation are complicated processes. Targeting the multigenicity of plant abiotic stress responses caused by genomic sequences, transcripts, protein organization and interactions, stress-specific and cellular transcriptome collections, and mutant screens can be the first step in an integrative approach. Therefore, in this review, we focused on the genomes, proteomics, and metabolomics of tomatoes under abiotic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1017 KiB  
Review
Cold Stress Response Mechanisms in Anther Development
by Borong Huang, Yubo Fan, Lijiao Cui, Cheng Li and Changkui Guo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010030 - 20 Dec 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1993
Abstract
Unlike animals that can escape threats, plants must endure and adapt to biotic and abiotic stresses in their surroundings. One such condition, cold stress, impairs the normal growth and development of plants, in which most phases of reproductive development are particularly susceptible to [...] Read more.
Unlike animals that can escape threats, plants must endure and adapt to biotic and abiotic stresses in their surroundings. One such condition, cold stress, impairs the normal growth and development of plants, in which most phases of reproductive development are particularly susceptible to external low temperature. Exposed to uncomfortably low temperature at the reproductive stage, meiosis, tapetal programmed cell death (PCD), pollen viability, and fertilization are disrupted, resulting in plant sterility. Of them, cold-induced tapetal dysfunction is the main cause of pollen sterility by blocking nutrition supplements for microspore development and altering their timely PCD. Further evidence has indicated that the homeostatic imbalances of hormones, including abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA), and sugars have occurred in the cold-treated anthers. Among them, cold stress gives rise to the accumulation of ABA and the decrease of active GA in anthers to affect tapetal development and represses the transport of sugar to microspores. Therefore, plants have evolved lots of mechanisms to alleviate the damage of external cold stress to reproductive development by mainly regulating phytohormone levels and sugar metabolism. Herein, we discuss the physiological and metabolic effects of low temperature on male reproductive development and the underlying mechanisms from the perspective of molecular biology. A deep understanding of cold stress response mechanisms in anther development will provide noteworthy references for cold-tolerant crop breeding and crop production under cold stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2408 KiB  
Review
Molecular Pathways of WRKY Genes in Regulating Plant Salinity Tolerance
by Lewis Price, Yong Han, Tefera Angessa and Chengdao Li
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10947; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810947 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1797
Abstract
Salinity is a natural and anthropogenic process that plants overcome using various responses. Salinity imposes a two-phase effect, simplified into the initial osmotic challenges and subsequent salinity-specific ion toxicities from continual exposure to sodium and chloride ions. Plant responses to salinity encompass a [...] Read more.
Salinity is a natural and anthropogenic process that plants overcome using various responses. Salinity imposes a two-phase effect, simplified into the initial osmotic challenges and subsequent salinity-specific ion toxicities from continual exposure to sodium and chloride ions. Plant responses to salinity encompass a complex gene network involving osmotic balance, ion transport, antioxidant response, and hormone signaling pathways typically mediated by transcription factors. One particular transcription factor mega family, WRKY, is a principal regulator of salinity responses. Here, we categorize a collection of known salinity-responding WRKYs and summarize their molecular pathways. WRKYs collectively play a part in regulating osmotic balance, ion transport response, antioxidant response, and hormone signaling pathways in plants. Particular attention is given to the hormone signaling pathway to illuminate the relationship between WRKYs and abscisic acid signaling. Observed trends among WRKYs are highlighted, including group II WRKYs as major regulators of the salinity response. We recommend renaming existing WRKYs and adopting a naming system to a standardized format based on protein structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plant Abiotic Stress)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop