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Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 3rd Edition

A Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067) belonging to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2027 | Viewed by 2437

Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants in the natural environment are constantly challenged by changes in the environment, including abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic stresses such as drought, salt, heat, cold, and nutrient deficiencies adversely affect plant growth, development, and productivity. Biotic stresses, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, beneficial and harmful insects, weeds, and cultivated or native plants, are a major focus of agricultural research due to the vast economic losses they inflict on cash crops. Plants have evolved a series of regulatory mechanisms to cope with stress in the process of adapting to abiotic or biotic stress. Studying the regulatory mechanisms of plant stress tolerance to adversity is beneficial in terms of selecting excellent resistant varieties.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for research on the physiology and molecular biology of plant stress tolerance. We believe that this Special Issue will be helpful to researchers and to the improvement of plants’ tolerance to stresses in the future. We invite you to submit original papers and reviews containing molecular results.

Prof. Dr. De-Guo Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • plant–pathogen interactions
  • biotic and abiotic stress
  • plant innate immunity
  • phytohormones
  • genes

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 8028 KB  
Article
Multimodal Insecticidal Activity of α-Humulene Against Chilo suppressalis via Endocrine Disruption and Transcriptional Suppression of Cuticular Proteins
by Zhuo Peng, Wenhui Lu, Yue Meng, Junjie Lin, Xinyu Zhang, Zihan Guo, Rong Zhao, Xiaoying Li, Meican Liu, Qiaoying Zhou, Yuqian He, Rui Ji, Guirong Wang, Lei Yang, Yang Sun and Pengke Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(18), 8322; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27188322 (registering DOI) - 18 Sep 2026
Abstract
Striped rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis, SSB) poses a substantial threat to global rice production, leading to considerable economic loss. In this study, we explored the insecticidal mechanism of α-humulene, a sesquiterpene derived from Humulus lupulus, against SSB larvae. [...] Read more.
Striped rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis, SSB) poses a substantial threat to global rice production, leading to considerable economic loss. In this study, we explored the insecticidal mechanism of α-humulene, a sesquiterpene derived from Humulus lupulus, against SSB larvae. Bioassays indicated that α-humulene markedly elevated larval mortality rates and extended developmental periods. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the upregulation of genes involved in juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis and the downregulation of cuticle protein genes. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated that α-humulene could form putative binding interactions with both cuticular proteins and key enzymes in the JH biosynthesis pathway, suggesting a potential interaction that may influence the structural stability of the cuticle and hormonal balance. Furthermore, JH and ecdysone titer assays confirmed hormonal imbalance in treated larvae. This study identified α-humulene as a novel multimodal insecticidal compound targeting two critical systems, namely endocrine disruption via dysregulated JH biosynthesis, and structural integrity impairment through cuticle protein suppression, presenting a sustainable approach for the eco-friendly management of rice pests. Full article
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16 pages, 4989 KB  
Article
Functional Characterization and Potential Regulatory Role of MdWRKY31 in Cold Tolerance
by Yonghui Liang, Guishuang Wang, Xiaomeng Yang, Bowen Zhang, Yuting Ma, Yujie Ji and Deguo Han
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(12), 5560; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27125560 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 393
Abstract
Identifying cold-resistance genes is essential for improving the ability of apples (Malus × domestica) to tolerate low temperatures, as cold stress significantly limits their growth and productivity. The MdWRKY31 gene was cloned from apple, and its sequence characteristics, expression pattern, and [...] Read more.
Identifying cold-resistance genes is essential for improving the ability of apples (Malus × domestica) to tolerate low temperatures, as cold stress significantly limits their growth and productivity. The MdWRKY31 gene was cloned from apple, and its sequence characteristics, expression pattern, and biological function were systematically investigated. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that MdWRKY31 belongs to the group II WRKY transcription factors and is localized in the nucleus. Expression analysis revealed that MdWRKY31 transcript levels were markedly upregulated under low-temperature stress. To further explore its function, MdWRKY31 was heterologously overexpressed in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Following low-temperature treatment, transgenic tomato plants exhibited significantly reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species, markedly enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT), increased contents of proline and soluble protein, and a notable decrease in malondialdehyde levels. Additionally, transcript levels of SlCBF1, SlCBF2, SlCBF3, SlICE1, along with the ABA signaling-related genes SlNCED1 and SlABI5, were markedly elevated. Further molecular docking showed that the MdWRKY31 protein has strong binding affinity to the W-box elements in the promoters of SlCBF1 suggesting that it may regulate the expression of these genes through direct protein–DNA interactions. These findings indicate that MdWRKY31 improves plant cold tolerance by CBF-dependent pathways to modulate antioxidant defenses and osmotic balance. These findings identify candidate genetic resources for breeding cold-resistant apple cultivation. Full article
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18 pages, 22842 KB  
Article
The Gibberellin 2-Oxidase Gene GhGA2ox15 Positively Regulates Drought Resistance in Upland Cotton
by Shujie Li, Mingxuan Hu, Juling Feng, Dongli Sun, Shuxun Yu and Zhen Feng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(11), 4712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114712 - 23 May 2026
Viewed by 451
Abstract
Cotton is recognized as the primary source of essential natural fibers for the global textile industry, supporting its sustainability and development. However, adverse environmental conditions such as drought severely constrain cotton production; thus, developing stress-tolerant cultivars via molecular breeding is essential for maintaining [...] Read more.
Cotton is recognized as the primary source of essential natural fibers for the global textile industry, supporting its sustainability and development. However, adverse environmental conditions such as drought severely constrain cotton production; thus, developing stress-tolerant cultivars via molecular breeding is essential for maintaining yield stability. Here, a comprehensive functional dissection was conducted on GhGA2ox15, a gibberellin 2-oxidase gene derived from Gossypium hirsutum L. This gene encodes a key catabolic enzyme implicated in the deactivation of endogenous bioactive GAs and the modulation of stress adaptation. We characterized GhGA2ox15, a GA2ox gene from upland cotton that modulates endogenous bioactive GA levels and abiotic stress tolerance. Bioinformatics and sequence analyses confirmed that GhGA2ox15 is a canonical C20-GA2ox subfamily member, with conserved DIOX_N and 2OG-FeII_Oxy domains and marked similarity to orthologs in Arabidopsis and rice. Tobacco subcellular localization assays indicated that GhGA2ox15 resides in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In transgenic Arabidopsis and Oryza sativa lines, GhGA2ox15 overexpression was shown to increase drought tolerance, while virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GhGA2ox15 yielded significantly compromised drought resistance. Physiological assays linked GhGA2ox15 silencing to impaired reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification. The suppressed lines displayed markedly lower antioxidant enzyme activities, concomitant ROS accumulation in leaves, and attenuated transcription of drought-responsive marker genes. Our findings delineate the mechanistic role of GhGA2ox15 in drought adaptation and highlight its potential utility in breeding drought-tolerant cotton. Full article
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12 pages, 2311 KB  
Article
HC-Pro Disrupts miR319–TCP Regulatory Pathways to Induce Sterility in Transgenic Plants
by Taicheng Jin, Weiyan Wang, Jiaxue Yu, Zhuyi Xiao, Yushuo Li, Xu Sun and Liping Yang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10551; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110551 - 30 Oct 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 898
Abstract
Helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro), encoded by tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV), can cause various viral symptoms and even abortion. HC-Pro counteracts host-mediated inhibition by interfering with the accumulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). However, it is unclear whether the abortion [...] Read more.
Helper component-proteinase (HC-Pro), encoded by tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV), can cause various viral symptoms and even abortion. HC-Pro counteracts host-mediated inhibition by interfering with the accumulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). However, it is unclear whether the abortion phenotype of transgenic plants expressing HC-Pro is related to the abnormal expression of TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING cell factors (TCPs), which are involved in regulating fertility. In this study, the molecular mechanisms through which HC-Pro causes various sterile phenotypes in plants were investigated. Reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT–qPCR) and Northern blotting revealed that in HC-Pro transgenic plants, the expression levels of TCP4 and TCP24 significantly increased. The increased expression of TCP4 further upregulated LIPOXYGENASE2 (LOX2), a gene encoding a key enzyme in the synthesis of jasmonic acid (JA) precursors. Further studies confirmed that the aberrant expression of TCP3, TCP4 and TCP24 blocks the elongation of petals and anthers and that the aberrant expression of TCP4 and TCP24 blocks the release of pollen. This study demonstrated that HC-Pro affects the expression levels of the miR319-targeted genes TCP2, TCP3, TCP4, TCP10 and TCP24, thereby affecting the normal development of floral organs and resulting in plant abortion. Both tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana were used as model systems in this study on virus-mediated fertility, which provides important information for understanding how viral pathogenicity affects the regulation of fertility in crops. Full article
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