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The Regulatory Mechanisms of Abiotic Stress Response and Secondary Metabolism...
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The Regulatory Mechanisms of Abiotic Stress Response and Secondary Metabolism in Forest Trees

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 September 2026 | Viewed by 1856

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jingli Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breedin, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Interests: trees breeding; genetic engineering; abiotic stress; biotic stress; resistant mechanism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Haijiao Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breedin, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Interests: forest tree crossbreeding; resistance breeding; genetic engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Under the escalating challenges of global climate change and ecological sustainability, research on stress resistance and quality formation mechanisms in forest trees has become a focal point in forestry and plant biology. This Special Issue focuses on the physiological responses and molecular adaptation mechanisms of woody plants to abiotic stresses, including drought, high salinity, and low temperatures, while also exploring the regulatory networks involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. This collection systematically elucidates the synergistic roles of key genes, metabolic pathways and regulatory modules in stress resistance and quality traits. We invite researchers to contribute original findings supported by robust data and validated mechanisms, to collectively advance the theoretical foundations and genetic resources for precision breeding and sustainable forest resource management.

Prof. Dr. Jingli Yang
Dr. Haijiao Huang
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • abiotic stress
  • molecular mechanism
  • secondary metabolism
  • multi-omics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 15628 KB  
Article
Effects of Different Plant Growth Regulators on Growth Physiology and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Pinus koraiensis Seedlings
by Wenbo Zhang, Chunming Li, Zhenghua Li, Naizhong Hu, Guanghao Cao, Jiaqi Huang, Panke Yang, Huanzhen Liu, Hui Bai and Haifeng Zhang
Plants 2025, 14(23), 3671; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14233671 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 632
Abstract
Pinus koraiensis, as a keystone tree species, possesses immense economic and ecological value. However, the present cultivation of high-quality seedlings in Pinus koraiensis plantations remains hindered by prohibitively high costs and inadequate technological advancements. Additionally, the species’ prolonged growth cycle and low [...] Read more.
Pinus koraiensis, as a keystone tree species, possesses immense economic and ecological value. However, the present cultivation of high-quality seedlings in Pinus koraiensis plantations remains hindered by prohibitively high costs and inadequate technological advancements. Additionally, the species’ prolonged growth cycle and low yield, when compounded by issues such as excessive harvesting, may result in supply constraints. Plant growth regulators (PGRs), a class of naturally occurring or synthetically derived chemical compounds, are capable of modulating plant development and physiology. These regulators exert notable effects by enhancing root proliferation, facilitating lignification, influencing plant architecture, and augmenting yield. Owing to their operational simplicity and relatively low cost, PGR applications hold substantial promise for cultivating Pinus koraiensis seedlings with superior traits. In this study, four-year-old Pinus koraiensis seedlings were employed to evaluate the impacts of three PGRs (paclobutrazol, chlormequat chloride, and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate), alongside varied application methods (dosage and frequency), on the growth, physiological, and photosynthetic parameters of the seedlings. The findings revealed that treatment with 1.5 g/L paclobutrazol produced the most pronounced effects across a range of indicators. Specifically, this treatment markedly enhanced growth traits (e.g., branch diameter, new shoot length, lateral branch length, aboveground fresh and dry weights, root fresh and dry weights, lateral root dry weight, and number of second-order roots), physiological attributes (e.g., increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities, elevated lignin content, and reduced relative conductivity and malondialdehyde levels), and photosynthetic metrics (e.g., elevated net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and maximum net photosynthetic rate), thereby constituting the optimal treatment combination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulatory Mechanisms of Abiotic Stress Response and Secondary Metabolism in Forest Trees)
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22 pages, 11139 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification, Drought-Responsive Expression, and EAR-Mediated Regulatory Network Construction of TOPLESS Genes in Populus ussuriensis Kom.
by Wanxin Li, Qianqian Liu, Jingru Ren, Zihan Fan, Tabeer Gulfam, Zhongzheng Ma and Jingli Yang
Plants 2025, 14(20), 3213; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14203213 - 19 Oct 2025
Viewed by 703
Abstract
Drought stress significantly impairs plant growth and productivity, which triggers complex adaptive responses mediated by diverse gene families. Among these, the TOPLESS (TPL)/TPL-related (TPR) family of transcriptional corepressors plays a crucial role by recruiting epigenetic modifiers through interactions with EAR motif-containing proteins. However, [...] Read more.
Drought stress significantly impairs plant growth and productivity, which triggers complex adaptive responses mediated by diverse gene families. Among these, the TOPLESS (TPL)/TPL-related (TPR) family of transcriptional corepressors plays a crucial role by recruiting epigenetic modifiers through interactions with EAR motif-containing proteins. However, genome-wide studies of this corepressor family and its associated regulatory networks with EAR motif-containing repressors remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the TPL/TPR transcriptional corepressor family in Populus ussuriensis Kom., elucidate their regulatory networks with EAR motif-containing repressors, and validate their functional roles in drought stress adaptation. To this end, we identified 21 TPL/TPR genes in P. ussuriensis (PuTPLs), classified them into five subfamilies, and found they are evolutionarily conserved with Arabidopsis thaliana and Populus trichocarpa, harboring characteristic CTLH and WD40 domains. Given that TPL/TPR proteins are recruited by transcription factors containing repression motifs, we constructed a putative TPL/TPR-EAR motif interaction network representing a core paradigm of negative regulation. Expression profiling under drought stress showed significant upregulation of most PuTPLs in a tissue-specific and temporal manner. Functional validation using transgenic P. ussuriensis lines overexpressing five PuTPLs demonstrated enhanced drought tolerance, evidenced by reduced electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content and increased proline accumulation. Our study provides the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the TPL/TPR family in P. ussuriensis, establishes a core EAR-mediated negative regulatory network, and validates the critical role of these genes in drought stress adaptation, providing valuable resources for future mechanistic research and breeding of stress-resistant trees. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulatory Mechanisms of Abiotic Stress Response and Secondary Metabolism in Forest Trees)
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Other

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14 pages, 2651 KB  
Essay
Genetic Variation in Pulpwood Properties of Hybrid Larch Families and Their Progenies
by Naizhong Hu, Jiaqi Huang, Guanghao Cao, Panke Yang, Huanzhen Liu, Chunming Li and Wenbo Zhang
Plants 2026, 15(2), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020190 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 223
Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate the genetic variation patterns of hybrid larch during generational transitions, providing a theoretical basis for targeted genetic improvement and advanced hybrid breeding of pulpwood. Seven hybrid larch families and their progeny from the Qingshan National Larch Elite Seed [...] Read more.
This study aimed to elucidate the genetic variation patterns of hybrid larch during generational transitions, providing a theoretical basis for targeted genetic improvement and advanced hybrid breeding of pulpwood. Seven hybrid larch families and their progeny from the Qingshan National Larch Elite Seed Base in Linkou County, Heilongjiang Province, were used as experimental materials. Growth traits, wood properties, and pulping performance of both generations were measured and analyzed, and pulp production capacity was calculated accordingly. Significant differences were observed between the F1 and F2 generations across all traits. The F2 generation showed greater genetic stability, though it was more susceptible to environmental factors. The LK3 × LG2 family was identified as elite through principal component analysis (PCA) and membership function analysis. Further analysis of intergenerational data confirmed that the LK5 × LO78-3 family exhibited superior genetic stability across generations, making it an optimal parental source. This study establishes a genetic foundation for the targeted genetic improvement of larch pulpwood, with important implications for advanced hybrid breeding and elite family selection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Regulatory Mechanisms of Abiotic Stress Response and Secondary Metabolism in Forest Trees)
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