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Identification and Molecular and Functional Characterization of Genes Involved in...
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Identification and Molecular and Functional Characterization of Genes Involved in the Abiotic Stress Response in Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 2700

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Juan Francisco Jimenez-Bremont

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Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular de Plantas, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, A. C., San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Interests: plant-microbe interactions; polyamines; functional characterization of genes involved in the response to abiotic stress; glycine rich proteins; dehydrins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Azucena Ortega-Amaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Coordinación Académica Región Altiplano Oeste, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Salinas de Hidalgo 78290, Mexico
Interests: plant-microorganism interaction; abiotic stress; use of agroindustrial products
Dr. Aida Araceli Rodríguez-Hernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CONAHCyT-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CEPROBI, Km. 6.5 Carr. Yautepec-Jojutla Col. San Isidro, Calle CEPROBI No. 8, Yautepec 62739, Mexico
Interests: plant molecular biology; abiotic stress; transcriptomic and genomic analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of the abiotic stress response in plants has become increasingly important in plant biology, especially in light of the current environmental changes affecting our planet. Research aimed at understanding how plants respond to various stress factors, including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, and oxidative stress, among others, is crucial for supporting the adaptation and survival of the plant kingdom. This Special Issue accepts submissions of full or short reviews and research articles focused on the identification of genes involved in diverse responses to abiotic stress, including their molecular and functional characterization in different plant species.

Dr. Juan Francisco Jimenez-Bremont
Dr. Maria Azucena Ortega-Amaro
Dr. Aida Araceli Rodríguez-Hernández
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. 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

  • stress-responsive genes
  • abiotic stress
  • molecular responses
  • mechanism of plant tolerance

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

36 pages, 23106 KiB  
Article
Phylogenetic and Structural Insights into Melatonin Receptors in Plants: Case Study in Capsicum chinense Jacq
by Adrian Toledo-Castiñeira, Mario E. Valdés-Tresanco, Georgina Estrada-Tapia, Miriam Monforte-González, Manuel Martínez-Estévez and Ileana Echevarría-Machado
Plants 2025, 14(13), 1952; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131952 - 26 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Recently, it has been proposed that plant melatonin receptors belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However, a detailed description of the phylogeny, protein structure, and binding properties of melatonin, which is still lacking, can help determine the signaling and function [...] Read more.
Recently, it has been proposed that plant melatonin receptors belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However, a detailed description of the phylogeny, protein structure, and binding properties of melatonin, which is still lacking, can help determine the signaling and function of this compound. Melatonin receptor homologs (PMTRs) were identified in 90 Viridiplantae sensu lato proteomes using profile Hidden Markov Models (HMM), which yielded 174 receptors across 87 species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed an expansion of PMTR sequences in angiosperms, which were grouped into three clades. Docking studies uncovered a conserved internal melatonin-binding site in PMTRs, which was analogous to the site in human MT1 receptors. Binding affinity simulations indicated this internal site exhibits stronger melatonin binding compared to a previously reported superficial pocket. Ligand–receptor interaction analysis and alanine scanning highlighted a major role of hydrophobic interactions, with hydrogen bonds contributing predominantly at the internal site, while non-interacting charged residues stabilize the binding pocket. Tunnel and ligand transport simulations suggested melatonin moves favorably through the internal cavity to access the binding site. Also, we presented for the first time details of these pockets in a non-model species, Capsicum chinense. Taken together, the structural analyses presented here illustrate opportunities and theoretical evidence for performing structure–function studies via mutations in specific residues within the proposed new melatonin-binding site in PMTRs, shedding light on their role in plant melatonin signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identification and Molecular and Functional Characterization of Genes Involved in the Abiotic Stress Response in Plants)
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19 pages, 4333 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Responsive to Three Low-Temperature Treatments in Arabidopsis thaliana
by Bricia Ruiz-Aguilar, Natalia B. Torres-Serrallonga, María Azucena Ortega-Amaro, Arianna Duque-Ortiz, Cesaré Ovando-Vázquez and Juan Francisco Jiménez-Bremont
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3127; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223127 - 6 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Cold stress impedes the growth and development of plants, restricts the geographical distribution of plant species, and impacts crop productivity. In this study, we analyzed the Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptome to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in 14-day-old plantlets exposed to temperatures of 0 [...] Read more.
Cold stress impedes the growth and development of plants, restricts the geographical distribution of plant species, and impacts crop productivity. In this study, we analyzed the Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptome to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in 14-day-old plantlets exposed to temperatures of 0 °C, 4 °C, and 10 °C for 24 h, compared to the 22 °C control group. Among the top 50 cold-induced genes at each temperature, we identified 31 genes that were common across all three low temperatures, with nine genes common to 0–4 °C, eight genes to 4–10 °C, and two genes to 0–10 °C. Using q-RTPCR, we analyzed selected genes at 24, 48, and 72 h under the three low temperatures. Our data revealed that genes, such as galactinol synthase 3 (Gols3, At1g09350), CIR1 (At5g37260), DnaJ (At1g71000), and At5g05220 (unknown function), exhibited the highest expressions at 0 °C and 4 °C throughout all time points. We also studied genes from the UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT78) family, including At5g17030 (D3), At5g17040 (D4), At5g17050 (D2), and At1g30530 (D1), which showed increased expression at low temperatures compared to plantlets at 22 °C for 24 h. Gene ontology analysis revealed that DEGs highly enriched were found in biological processes such as “RNA secondary structure unwinding” and “rRNA processing” induced at the three low temperatures, whereas processes related to photosynthesis were repressed. Our findings indicated upregulation in the expression of four RNA helicases (RH13, RH48, RH32, and RH29), belonging to the “RNA secondary structure unwinding” category, mainly at 0 °C and 4 °C. This study provides valuable information on the molecular mechanisms that activate Arabidopsis thaliana in its early response to these three low temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Identification and Molecular and Functional Characterization of Genes Involved in the Abiotic Stress Response in Plants)
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