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Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants

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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: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 13321

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hyeong Cheol Park

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Guest Editor

Team of Vulnerable Ecological Research, Division of Climate and Ecology, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon 33657, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant biotic and abiotic stresses; plant physiology; transcription factors; signal transduction pathway; plant molecular ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change has become impossible to ignore in recent years. Climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather conditions and accelerates the adverse effects of environmental stresses. Plants are continuously exposed to these environmental stresses, especially abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, salt, cold, etc. Therefore, plants exhibit a variety of responses to tolerate and survive adverse conditions and adapt to abiotic stresses by employing stress-sensing mechanisms and by activating signal transduction and the expression of stress-related genes. The adaptive responses to different stresses are interconnected via multiple stress perception and signaling pathways that exhibit crosstalk at various steps. In addition, phytohormones play a major role in stress adaptation pathways. Thus, further understanding the regulation mechanisms of plant response and adaptation to environmental stresses can provide new insights to develop better adapted plants in response to various environmental stresses.

This Special Issue will cover various signaling pathways and response mechanisms in molecular levels to adapt to environmental stresses in plants.

Dr. Hyeong Cheol Park
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

climate change
environmental stress
gene expresssion
signal transduction pathway
crosstalk
phytohormones
adaptation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 7960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Blinin Accumulation Promoted by CbMYB32 Involved in Conyza blinii Resistance to Nocturnal Low Temperature

by Ming Yang, Min Zhou, Mengdan Shu, Zhengqi Han, Ruiqi Ma, Yuting Chen, Tianrun Zheng and Hui Chen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(8), 7143; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087143 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 866

Abstract

Blinin, a unique terpenoid from Conyza blinii (C. blinii), benefits our health even though this is not its primary function. Physiological and ecological studies have found that the great secondary metabolites participate in important biological processes and relate to species evolution, environmental adaptation, and so on. Moreover, our previous studies have shown that the metabolism and accumulation of blinin has a close correspondence with nocturnal low temperature (NLT). To find out the transcriptional regulation linker in the crosstalk between blinin and NLT, RNA-seq, comparative analysis, and co-expression network were performed. The results indicated that CbMYB32 is located in a nucleus without independent transcriptional activation activity and is probably involved in the metabolism of blinin. Furthermore, we compared the silence and overexpression of CbMYB32 with wild C. blinii. Compared with the overexpression and the wildtype, the CbMYB32 silence line lost more than half of the blinin and detected more peroxide under NLT. Finally, as a characteristic secret of C. blinii, it is reasonable to infer that blinin participates in the NLT adaptation mechanism and has contributed to the systematic evolution of C. blinii. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants)

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22 pages, 3358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Highlight Induced Transcriptional Priming against a Subsequent Drought Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana

by Soyanni Holness, Ulrike Bechtold, Phillip Mullineaux, Giovanna Serino and Paola Vittorioso

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6608; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076608 - 01 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1187

Abstract

In plants, priming allows a more rapid and robust response to recurring stresses. However, while the nature of plant response to a single stress can affect the subsequent response to the same stress has been deeply studied, considerably less is known on how the priming effect due to one stress can help plants cope with subsequent different stresses, a situation that can be found in natural ecosystems. Here, we investigate the potential priming effects in Arabidopsis plants subjected to a high light (HL) stress followed by a drought (D) stress. The cross-stress tolerance was assessed at the physiological and molecular levels. Our data demonstrated that HL mediated transcriptional priming on the expression of specific stress response genes. Furthermore, this priming effect involves both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent responses, as also supported by reduced expression of these genes in the aba1–3 mutant compared to the wild type. We have also assessed several physiological parameters with the aim of seeing if gene expression coincides with any physiological changes. Overall, the results from the physiological measurements suggested that these physiological processes did not experience metabolic changes in response to the stresses. In addition, we show that the H3K4me3 epigenetic mark could be a good candidate as an epigenetic mark in priming response. Overall, our results help to elucidate how HL-mediated priming can limit D-stress and enhance plant responses to stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants)

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17 pages, 3361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Oxalate Transporter Gene, AtOT, Enhances Aluminum Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana by Regulating Oxalate Efflux

by Zongming Yang, Pingjuan Zhao, Xuehua Luo, Wentao Peng, Zifan Liu, Guishui Xie, Mengyue Wang and Feng An

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4516; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054516 - 24 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1885

Abstract

Secretion and efflux of oxalic acid from roots is an important aluminum detoxification mechanism for various plants; however, how this process is completed remains unclear. In this study, the candidate oxalate transporter gene AtOT, encoding 287 amino acids, was cloned and identified from Arabidopsis thaliana. AtOT was upregulated in response to aluminum stress at the transcriptional level, which was closely related to aluminum treatment concentration and time. The root growth of Arabidopsis was inhibited after knocking out AtOT, and this effect was amplified by aluminum stress. Yeast cells expressing AtOT enhanced oxalic acid resistance and aluminum tolerance, which was closely correlated with the secretion of oxalic acid by membrane vesicle transport. Collectively, these results underline an external exclusion mechanism of oxalate involving AtOT to enhance oxalic acid resistance and aluminum tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants)

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23 pages, 6932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salinity-Induced Cytosolic Alkaline Shifts in Arabidopsis Roots Require the SOS Pathway

by Belén Rombolá-Caldentey, Zaida Andrés, Rainer Waadt, Francisco J. Quintero, Karin Schumacher and José M. Pardo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3549; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043549 - 10 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1731

Abstract

Plants have evolved elaborate mechanisms to sense, respond to and overcome the detrimental effects of high soil salinity. The role of calcium transients in salinity stress signaling is well established, but the physiological significance of concurrent salinity-induced changes in cytosolic pH remains largely undefined. Here, we analyzed the response of Arabidopsis roots expressing the genetically encoded ratiometric pH-sensor pHGFP fused to marker proteins for the recruitment of the sensor to the cytosolic side of the tonoplast (pHGFP-VTI11) and the plasma membrane (pHGFP-LTI6b). Salinity elicited a rapid alkalinization of cytosolic pH (pHcyt) in the meristematic and elongation zone of wild-type roots. The pH-shift near the plasma membrane preceded that at the tonoplast. In pH-maps transversal to the root axis, the epidermis and cortex had cells with a more alkaline pHcyt relative to cells in the stele in control conditions. Conversely, seedlings treated with 100 mM NaCl exhibited an increased pHcyt in cells of the vasculature relative to the external layers of the root, and this response occurred in both reporter lines. These pHcyt changes were substantially reduced in mutant roots lacking a functional SOS3/CBL4 protein, suggesting that the operation of the SOS pathway mediated the dynamics of pHcyt in response to salinity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants)

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14 pages, 3710 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of the Wheat Heat Shock Factor TaHsfA2e-5D Conferring Heat and Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis

by Huihui Bi, Jingnan Miao, Jinqiu He, Qifan Chen, Jiajun Qian, Huanhuan Li, Yan Xu, Dan Ma, Yue Zhao, Xuejun Tian and Wenxuan Liu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(5), 2784; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052784 - 03 Mar 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2673

Abstract

Environmental stresses, especially heat and drought, severely limit plant growth and negatively affect wheat yield and quality worldwide. Heat shock factors (Hsfs) play a central role in regulating plant responses to various stresses. In this study, the wheat heat shock factor gene TaHsfA2e-5D on chromosome 5D was isolated and functionally characterized, with the goal of investigating its role in responses to heat and drought stresses. Gene expression profiling showed that TaHsfA2e-5D was expressed constitutively in various wheat tissues, most highly in roots at the reproductive stage. The expression of TaHsfA2e-5D was highly up-regulated in wheat seedlings by heat, cold, drought, high salinity, and multiple phytohormones. The TaHsfA2e-5D protein was localized in the nucleus and showed a transcriptional activation activity. Ectopic expression of the TaHsfA2e-5D in yeast exhibited improved thermotolerance. Overexpression of the TaHsfA2e-5D in Arabidopsis results in enhanced tolerance to heat and drought stresses. Furthermore, RT-qPCR analyses revealed that TaHsfA2e-5D functions through increasing the expression of Hsp genes and other stress-related genes, including APX2 and GolS1. Collectively, these results suggest that TaHsfA2e-5D functions as a positive regulator of plants’ responses to heat and drought stresses, which may be of great significance for understanding and improving environmental stress tolerance in crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants)

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Review

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20 pages, 8835 KiB

Open AccessReview

Progress and Applications of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in Salt Tolerance of Crops

by Yaru Gao, Hong Zou, Baoshan Wang and Fang Yuan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(13), 7036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23137036 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4029

Abstract

Saline soils are a major challenge in agriculture, and salinization is increasing worldwide due to climate change and destructive agricultural practices. Excessive amounts of salt in soils cause imbalances in ion distribution, physiological dehydration, and oxidative stress in plants. Breeding and genetic engineering methods to improve plant salt tolerance and the better use of saline soils are being explored; however, these approaches can take decades to accomplish. A shorter-term approach to improve plant salt tolerance is to be inoculated with bacteria with high salt tolerance or adjusting the balance of bacteria in the rhizosphere, including endosymbiotic bacteria (living in roots or forming a symbiont) and exosymbiotic bacteria (living on roots). Rhizosphere bacteria promote plant growth and alleviate salt stress by providing minerals (such as nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium) and hormones (including auxin, cytokinin, and abscisic acid) or by reducing ethylene production. Plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria are a promising tool to restore agricultural lands and improve plant growth in saline soils. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of plant growth-promoting bacteria under salt stress and their applications for improving plant salt tolerance to provide a theoretical basis for further use in agricultural systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on the Molecular Adaptation Mechanisms to Environmental Stresses in Plants)

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