Roles of Phytohormones in Plant Growth, Development and Abiotic Stress Response

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 2906

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: phytohormones; plant growth; plant development; drought; salinity; heat; heavy metals; abiotic stress response
College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: genetics; crop genomics engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Phytohormones serve as master regulators coordinating plant growth, developmental plasticity, and environmental adaptation. With climate change exacerbating abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and heavy metal toxicity, understanding phytohormone signaling networks has become crucial for developing stress-resilient crops. This Special Issue explores the integrative roles of classical and emerging phytohormones—including auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, gibberellins, brassinosteroids, strigolactones, jasmonates, and salicylic acid—through three interconnected perspectives:

  • Growth regulation: Hormonal coordination of meristem activity, cell elongation, and shoot-root growth dynamics;
  • Developmental programming: Hormonal control of phenological transitions (e.g., vernalization, flowering time), root system architecture, and organogenesis;
  • Abiotic stress response: Hormone-mediated stress perception, adaptation, and recovery.

Original research and reviews addressing these three research themes are welcome.

Dr. Changxi Yin
Dr. Fei Zhou
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • phytohormones
  • plant growth
  • plant development
  • drought
  • salinity
  • heat
  • heavy metals
  • abiotic stress response

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 3938 KB  
Article
Exogenous Abscisic Acid Enhances Water Use Efficiency and Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
by Binghan Wen, Xianwei Peng, Shuzhen Zhang, Xingyu Ge, Dongxu Huang, Jiaxin Li and Ranran Zhang
Plants 2026, 15(4), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040640 - 18 Feb 2026
Viewed by 649
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a key forage crop, but its production is severely limited by water scarcity. This study evaluated the effects of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) root application on the drought tolerance of the alfalfa cultivar “Xinmu No. 4”, focusing [...] Read more.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a key forage crop, but its production is severely limited by water scarcity. This study evaluated the effects of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) root application on the drought tolerance of the alfalfa cultivar “Xinmu No. 4”, focusing on water use efficiency (WUE), physiological traits, and transcriptome expression. The highest WUE was achieved at 25 μM ABA and 10% polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000). Physiological parameters, including proline (Pro), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in both leaves and roots, showed strong positive correlations with the WUE (p < 0.01), with leaf POD showing a significant correlation (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that 34.42 µM ABA under 10% PEG-6000 significantly optimized the WUE. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ABA enhanced the WUE by enriching genes involved in root defense response and leaf oxidoreductase activity. These results demonstrate that root-applied ABA under drought stress significantly improves the WUE and drought tolerance in alfalfa, offering a promising strategy to enhance forage crop resilience to water scarcity. Full article
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Review

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26 pages, 1294 KB  
Review
Evolutionary Repurposing of Cytokinin Signaling in Plant Development and Symbiosis
by Shiqi Zhang, Yanping Jiang, Jianing Fang and Tao Wang
Plants 2026, 15(9), 1370; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15091370 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Cytokinin (CK) is a central regulator of plant development, yet its roles cannot be understood fully without considering how CK signaling was assembled during evolution and redeployed in different physiological contexts. In this review, we examine how prokaryotic two-component modules were elaborated into [...] Read more.
Cytokinin (CK) is a central regulator of plant development, yet its roles cannot be understood fully without considering how CK signaling was assembled during evolution and redeployed in different physiological contexts. In this review, we examine how prokaryotic two-component modules were elaborated into the land–plant CK system and how this system now integrates biosynthesis, transport, receptor selectivity, and feedback control to shape developmental and symbiotic outcomes. We argue that three recurring interpretive dimensions are especially useful for organizing current evidence: compartmentalized CK pools, context-dependent decoding of local CK availability, and the coupling of local CK responses to whole-plant nutrient status. These dimensions help organize current observations on why CK effects in arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) are often conditional and readout-dependent, whereas evidence from legume–rhizobium symbiosis supports a more direct role for CK in cortical competence, nodule organogenesis, and autoregulation of nodulation. Rather than treating CK as a generic positive regulator of symbiosis, we propose that it functions as a spatially partitioned and nutritionally gated integrator whose outputs depend on cell type, developmental stage, transport route, and resource context. We conclude by highlighting key mechanistic gaps—particularly in transporter-resolved CK partitioning and systemic integration—and by outlining experimentally testable priorities for translating CK biology into crop improvement. Full article
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17 pages, 1032 KB  
Review
Molecular Mechanisms of the Phytohormone–Heat Shock Protein Pathway in Regulating Plant Thermotolerance
by Jialiang Zhang, Yanchun Zhu, Fumin Ma, Xiao Zou, Qiuxia Lan, Xiaoran Zhou, Mengxia Li, Fei Zhou, Changxi Yin and Yongjun Lin
Plants 2025, 14(23), 3706; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14233706 - 4 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1439
Abstract
Heat stress caused by global climate change poses a significant threat to agricultural production. Phytohormones, as critical signaling molecules, play pivotal roles in modulating plant responses to heat stress. This review systematically summarizes the molecular mechanisms by which eight phytohormones (auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, [...] Read more.
Heat stress caused by global climate change poses a significant threat to agricultural production. Phytohormones, as critical signaling molecules, play pivotal roles in modulating plant responses to heat stress. This review systematically summarizes the molecular mechanisms by which eight phytohormones (auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, abscisic acid, brassinosteroid, salicylic acid, and strigolactone) enhance plant thermotolerance through the regulation of heat shock protein (HSP) expression and function. Specifically, auxin enhances thermotolerance by inducing auxin signaling repressor (Aux/IAA) degradation to upregulate HSP transcription, facilitating the formation of the auxin receptor (TIR1)-HSP90 complex to stabilize TIR1, and forming the auxin exporter (PIN)-HSP22 complex to promote auxin transport. Cytokinin enhances thermotolerance by upregulating HSP transcription, with stronger effects in leaves than roots. Gibberellin, salicylic acid, and ethylene enhance thermotolerance primarily by activating heat shock factor (HSF) to induce HSP transcription. Abscisic acid and brassinosteroid improve thermotolerance by inducing HSP transcription and HSP phosphorylation, while strigolactone acts via D14-mediated upregulation of HSP transcription. These phytohormones collaboratively regulate HSPs, forming an intricate network to enhance plant thermotolerance. Deciphering these mechanisms provides a theoretical framework for developing heat-resistant crops and optimizing cultivation techniques. Full article
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