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Plants
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Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses
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Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2025 | Viewed by 4852

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Feibo Wu

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Guest Editor
Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: molecular physiology of abiotic stress tolerance in crops; gene expression; gene regulation; gene network inference; microbe-induced plant tolerance to abiotic stresses; plant biology and biotechnology; molecular ecology; sustainable agriculture phytoremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cheng-Wei Qiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Crop Science, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: molecular mechanism of abiotic stress response and tolerance; plant physiology; plant genetics
Dr. Guohua Ding

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150086, China
Interests: crop breeding for abiotic stress tolerance; plant physiology; gene mapping
Dr. Imrul Mosaddek Ahmed

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32317, USA
2. Plant Physiology Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Interests: crop physiology; plant biotechnology; molecular biology; genetics; crop production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are continuously exposed to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heavy metals, heat, waterlogging, and cold, which negatively affect crop performance and yield. This poses a significant challenge for plant scientists to secure global food supplies and creates an urgent need to continuously increase the yield of major food crops. While exceptional research has highlighted some core components of plant defenses, identifying the genes and cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the defense strategies against specific abiotic stresses remains a substantial challenge.

The complexity of stress responses and defense mechanisms is due to crosstalk, spatiotemporal regulation, intricate metabolic networks, variations in specialized metabolites among plant species, and multiple defense responses to a single threat. With advances in analytical tools for metabolomics and proteomics, genome sequencing, and improved genetic techniques, we now have better opportunities to unravel the defense mechanisms against abiotic stresses. Exploiting new knowledge of plant defense mechanisms will lead to the development of new varieties with enhanced protection against drought, salinity, heavy metals, heat, cold, and waterlogging, thereby improving sustainable agricultural practices. This Special Issue of Plants welcomes submissions of research articles, reviews, communications, methodologies, and short notes that enhance our understanding of plant defense mechanisms against abiotic stresses.

Prof. Dr. Feibo Wu
Dr. Cheng-Wei Qiu
Dr. Guohua Ding
Dr. Imrul Mosaddek Ahmed
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

  • abiotic stresses, including extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, submergence, heavy metals, and others
  • gene regulation
  • metabolism
  • plant physiology
  • plant signaling

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2222 KiB  
Article
Role of Tyrosine Phosphorylation in PEP1 Receptor 1(PEPR1) in Arabidopsis thaliana
by Jae-Han Choi and Man-Ho Oh
Plants 2025, 14(10), 1515; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101515 - 19 May 2025
Viewed by 282
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have evolved to perceive environmental changes. Among LRR-RLKs, PEPR1 perceives the pep1 peptide and triggers defense signal transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the present study, we focused on PEPR1 and PEPR2, which are the receptors of pep1, [...] Read more.
Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have evolved to perceive environmental changes. Among LRR-RLKs, PEPR1 perceives the pep1 peptide and triggers defense signal transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the present study, we focused on PEPR1 and PEPR2, which are the receptors of pep1, to understand the role of tyrosine phosphorylation. PEPR1-CD (cytoplasmic domain) recombinant protein exhibited strong tyrosine autophosphorylation, including threonine autophosphorylation. We subjected all tyrosine residues in PEPR1-CD to site-directed mutagenesis. The recombinant proteins were purified along with PEPR1-CD, and Western blotting was performed using a tyrosine-specific antibody. Among the 13 tyrosine residues in PEPR1-CD, the PEPR1(Y995F)-CD recombinant protein showed significantly reduced tyrosine autophosphorylation intensity compared to PEPR1-CD and other tyrosine mutants, despite little change in threonine autophosphorylation. To confirm the autophosphorylation site, we generated a phospho-specific peptide Ab, pY995. As a result, Tyr-995 of PEPR1-CD was a major tyrosine autophosphorylation site in vitro. To understand the function of tyrosine phosphorylation in vivo, we generated transgenic plants, expressing PEPR1-Flag, PEPR1(Y995F)-Flag, and PEPR1(Y995D)-Flag in a pepr1/2 double mutant background. Interestingly, the root growths of PEPR1(Y995F)-Flag and PEPR1(Y995D)-Flag were not inhibited by pep1 peptide treatment, compared to Col-0 and PEPR1-Flag (pepr1/2) transgenic plants. Also, we analyzed downstream components, which included PROPEP1, MPK3, WRKY33, and RBOHD gene expressions in four different genotypes (Col-0, PEPR1-Flag, PEPR1(Y995F)-Flag, and PEPR1(Y995D)-Flag) of plants in the presence of the pep1 peptide. Interestingly, the expressions of PROPEP1, MPK3, WRKY33, and RBOHD were not regulated by pep1 peptide treatment in PEPR1(Y995F)-Flag and PEPR1(Y995D)-Flag transgenic plants, in contrast to Col-0 and PEPR1-Flag. These results suggest that specific tyrosine residues play an important role in vivo in the plant receptor function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses)
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15 pages, 6980 KiB  
Article
Increase in Lead (Pb) Concentration in the Soil Can Cause Morphophysiological Changes in the Leaves of Inga vera subsp. affinis (DC.) T.D.Penn. and Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd.
by Isabella Fiorini de Carvalho, Patricia Fernanda Rosalem, Caroline de Lima Frachia, Patrícia Borges Alves, Bruno Bonadio Cozin, Ricardo de Almeida Gonçalves, Nayane Cristina Pires Bomfim, Roberta Possas de Souza, Aline Redondo Martins and Liliane Santos de Camargos
Plants 2025, 14(6), 856; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14060856 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1956
Abstract
The accumulation of heavy metals, such as lead (Pb), causes environmental degradation, affecting human health and plant metabolism. Pb can alter plant physiological processes, including photosynthesis, influencing the structure of chloroplasts and leaf tissues. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of [...] Read more.
The accumulation of heavy metals, such as lead (Pb), causes environmental degradation, affecting human health and plant metabolism. Pb can alter plant physiological processes, including photosynthesis, influencing the structure of chloroplasts and leaf tissues. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of increasing lead concentrations in soil on gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, and the anatomy of leaf tissues in Inga vera subsp. affinis and Inga laurina. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a randomized block design in a 2 × 6 factorial scheme, with Pb concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg dm−3. I. vera subsp. affinis and I. laurina maintained stable photosynthetic parameters even under high Pb concentrations. Regarding photosynthetic pigments, I. vera subsp. affinis exhibited high levels of chlorophyll a and b, even at the highest Pb concentration. Additionally, I. laurina showed a greater accumulation of carotenoids and phenolic compounds at higher Pb doses. In leaf tissues, Pb did not alter thickness. These results suggest that both species possess adaptation mechanisms to heavy metal stress, enabling the maintenance of photosynthetic activity and ensuring the completion of their life cycle under adverse conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses)
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30 pages, 9514 KiB  
Article
Timing and Duration of Drought Differentially Affect Growth and Yield Components Among Sugarcane Genotypes
by Amarawan Tippayawat, Sanun Jogloy, Nimitr Vorasoot, Nakorn Jongrungklang, Collins A. Kimbeng, John L. Jifon, Jidapa Khonghintaisong and Patcharin Songsri
Plants 2025, 14(5), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050796 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 605
Abstract
Drought significantly impacts sugarcane yield, making drought resistance an important trait in drought-prone regions. The effects of the timing and duration of drought on yield and yield components, including relationships among these traits, were examined using a diverse set of sugarcane genotypes in [...] Read more.
Drought significantly impacts sugarcane yield, making drought resistance an important trait in drought-prone regions. The effects of the timing and duration of drought on yield and yield components, including relationships among these traits, were examined using a diverse set of sugarcane genotypes in a 2-year (planted cane and first ratoon) field study. Three drought treatments (no water stress (SD0), short-term (SD1), and long-term (SD2) drought) were assigned as the main plot and replicated four times. Within each plot, six genotypes were nested in a split-plot design. Drought reduced yield and its components, with the decline greater in SD2 than in SD1. Strong relationships between yield and its components like stalk height and density and height growth rate, especially under drought, make these traits potential surrogates for yield in drought screening experiments. The genotypes F03–362 and KK3 displayed high, stable yield potential across drought treatments, but KK3 lost potential in ratoon crop under drought. Although KK09–0358 displayed high yield potential, it was very sensitive to drought stress while UT12 and KK09–0939 displayed low yield potential and sensitivity to drought. TPJ04–768 displayed low but stable yield potential across drought treatments and crops. F03–362 and TPJ04–768 have utility in studies seeking to couple physiological with agronomic parameters promoting drought resistance and as parents for developing cultivars combining high and stable yield performance under drought. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses)
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17 pages, 3871 KiB  
Article
Identifications of Genes Involved in ABA and MAPK Signaling Pathways Positively Regulating Cold Tolerance in Rice
by Guohua Ding, Zhugang Li, Zubair Iqbal, Minghui Zhao, Zhibo Cui, Liangzi Cao, Jinsong Zhou, Lei Lei, Yu Luo, Liangming Bai, Guang Yang, Rongsheng Wang, Kun Li, Xueyang Wang, Kai Liu, Mingnan Qu and Shichen Sun
Plants 2025, 14(4), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14040498 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 728
Abstract
Cold stress (CS) significantly impacts rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth during seedling and heading stages. Based on two-year field observations, this study identified two rice lines, L9 (cold stress-sensitive) and LD18 (cold stress-tolerant), showing contrasting CS responses. L9 exhibited a 38% reduction [...] Read more.
Cold stress (CS) significantly impacts rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth during seedling and heading stages. Based on two-year field observations, this study identified two rice lines, L9 (cold stress-sensitive) and LD18 (cold stress-tolerant), showing contrasting CS responses. L9 exhibited a 38% reduction in photosynthetic efficiency, whereas LD18 remained unchanged, correlating with seed rates. Transcriptome analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with LD18 showing enriched pathways (carbon fixation, starch/sucrose metabolism, and glutathione metabolism). LD18 displayed dramatically enhanced expression of MAPK-related genes (LOC4342017, LOC9267741, and LOC4342267) and increased ABA signaling genes (LOC4333690, LOC4345611, and LOC4335640) compared with L9 exposed to CS. Results from qPCR confirmed the enhanced expression of the three MAPK-related genes in LD18 with a dramatic reduction in L9 under CS relative to that under CK. We also observed up to 66% reduction in expression levels of the three genes related to the ABA signaling pathway in L9 relative to LD18 under CS. Consistent with the results of photosynthetic efficiency, metabolic analysis suggests pyruvate metabolism, TCA cycle, and carbon metabolism enrichment in LD18 under CS. The study reveals reprogramming of the carbon assimilation metabolic pathways, emphasizing the critical roles of the key DEGs involved in ABA and MAPK signaling pathways in positive regulation of LD18 response to CS, offering the foundation toward cold tolerance breeding through targeted gene editing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses)
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12 pages, 536 KiB  
Opinion
How Do Arabidopsis Seedlings Sense and React to Increasing Ambient Temperatures?
by Attila Fehér, Rasik Shiekh Bin Hamid and Zoltán Magyar
Plants 2025, 14(2), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020248 - 16 Jan 2025
Viewed by 863
Abstract
Plants respond to higher ambient temperatures by modifying their growth rate and habitus. This review aims to summarize the accumulated knowledge obtained with Arabidopsis seedlings grown at normal and elevated ambient temperatures. Thermomorphogenesis in the shoot and the root is overviewed separately, since [...] Read more.
Plants respond to higher ambient temperatures by modifying their growth rate and habitus. This review aims to summarize the accumulated knowledge obtained with Arabidopsis seedlings grown at normal and elevated ambient temperatures. Thermomorphogenesis in the shoot and the root is overviewed separately, since the experiments indicate differences in key aspects of thermomorphogenesis in the two organs. This includes the variances in thermosensors and key transcription factors, as well as the predominance of cell elongation or cell division, respectively, even though auxin plays a key role in regulating this process in both organs. Recent findings also highlight the role of the root and shoot meristems in thermomorphogenesis and suggest that the cell cycle inhibitor RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED protein may balance cell division and elongation at increased temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms of Plant Defense Against Abiotic Stresses)
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