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Plants
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Molecular and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress
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Molecular and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 2020

Editors

Dr. Nana Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China
Interests: genetic breeding; germplasm resources; low-temperature stress; sugar signaling; gene expression; protein interaction; gene function; bioinformatics
Dr. Murat Aycan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Institute for Social Innovation and Cooperation, Niigata University, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
Interests: salinity tolerance in crops; plant molecular responses to abiotic stress; organellar genome inheritance; epigenetic regulation and DNA methylation; transcriptomics and multi-omics analysis; plant stress physiology and crop improvement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As sessile organisms, plants are constantly challenged by adverse environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, and heavy metal toxicity, and other abiotic stresses. These abiotic stresses severely limit plant growth, development, and agricultural productivity worldwide, posing major challenges for global food security. Understanding the intricate molecular, physiological, and regulatory networks that govern plant adaptation and survival is crucial for developing stress-tolerant crop varieties.

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research that elucidates the complex mechanisms underlying plant response to abiotic stress from the molecular to the systemic level. We invite contributions that explore signaling pathways, transcriptional and post-translational regulations, hormonal crosstalk, and epigenetic modifications involved in stress perception and response. Studies integrating high-throughput approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics are particularly encouraged.

We also welcome research addressing plant–microbiome interactions, genome-editing technologies, systems biology approaches, and molecular breeding strategies aimed at improving abiotic stress tolerance in crops.

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic stress
  • Signal transduction pathways and stress perception
  • Transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic regulation
  • Hormonal regulation and crosstalk under stress conditions
  • Omics-based approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics)
  • Plant–microbiome interactions in stress adaptation
  • Genome editing and molecular breeding for stress tolerance
  • Systems biology and integrative approaches to plant stress responses

We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications. Manuscripts should provide novel and significant insights into the molecular basis of plant stress responses. Studies employing modern high-throughput technologies and genetic and biochemical approaches are strongly encouraged. All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure scientific excellence and impact.

Dr. Nana Li
Dr. Murat Aycan
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-anonymized 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 (drought, salinity, temperature, etc.)
  • signal transduction
  • transcriptional regulation
  • gene function
  • phytohormone (ABA, Auxin, etc.)
  • epigenetic modification
  • chromatin remodeling
  • multi-omics approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics)
  • stress-responsive genes and proteins
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • antioxidative mechanisms
  • plant adaptation and acclimation
  • crop improvement

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4373 KB  
Article
Physiological and Transcriptomic Evaluation of Drought Tolerance in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and Identification of Resilient Germplasm
by Lixin Sun, Juan Zhou, Xiaoyan Zhao, Hongxia Ding, Rui Ma, Minshan Sun and Feng Wei
Plants 2026, 15(11), 1737; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15111737 - 3 Jun 2026
Viewed by 465
Abstract
Drought stress is a major constraint on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production. Screening for drought tolerance at the seedling stage can accelerate the identification of resilient germplasm. In this study, six alfalfa cultivars were selected and subjected to drought stress at the [...] Read more.
Drought stress is a major constraint on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production. Screening for drought tolerance at the seedling stage can accelerate the identification of resilient germplasm. In this study, six alfalfa cultivars were selected and subjected to drought stress at the seedling stage. Morphological traits (stem diameter, plant height, biomass, and root–shoot ratio) and oxidative/antioxidant indicators (malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide (O2•−), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity) were quantified in leaves and roots. Drought stress significantly reduced plant height (by up to 42.4% in ZL2) and biomass (by up to 30% in some cultivars), but increased the root–shoot ratio (by 50–166%). MDA and O2•− levels increased by 10–174% in leaves and 8–65% in roots across cultivars. Antioxidant enzyme activities rose markedly: SOD by 23–125% in leaves and 2–100% in roots; POD by 47–240% (leaves) and 38–166% (roots); CAT by 9–129% (leaves) and 30–227% (roots); GR by 35–107% (leaves) and 23–172% (roots); APX by 8–175% (leaves) and 3–89% (roots), indicating a coordinated leaf–root antioxidant defense. Transcriptome analysis of the tolerant cultivar ZM3 revealed 853 differentially expressed genes, which were enriched in pathways such as the non-homologous end-joining DNA repair pathway. Multivariate assessment of seedling-stage performance identified ZM3 and ZL2 as the most drought-tolerant cultivars. Collectively, these findings provide germplasm leads and empirical evidence for coordinated leaf–root antioxidant strategies in alfalfa, informing the selection and improvement of drought-tolerant cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress)
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21 pages, 3068 KB  
Article
Initial Physiological and Molecular Adjustments Underpin Salinity Tolerance During Wheat Germination and Early Seedling Development
by Murat Aycan
Plants 2026, 15(11), 1593; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15111593 - 22 May 2026
Viewed by 750
Abstract
Global warming and associated environmental changes are reducing arable land and intensifying salinization risks, posing growing threats to food security. Soil salinity is an increasing threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one [...] Read more.
Global warming and associated environmental changes are reducing arable land and intensifying salinization risks, posing growing threats to food security. Soil salinity is an increasing threat to agricultural productivity worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important and widely cultivated cereal crops for human consumption and livestock feed. However, with increasing water scarcity and the incidence of salt-affected lands, wheat productivity is increasingly affected by salinity. Previous studies have investigated salinity tolerance mechanisms mainly at the seedling and reproductive stages of wheat; however, comparatively fewer studies integrate rapid biochemical and physiological responses during the first hours of germination stress exposure together with transcriptional analyses during early seedling establishment, even though this stage is critical for stand establishment. Here, we evaluated early physiological and transcriptional responses of salt-tolerant, moderate, and sensitive wheat cultivars exposed to 0 or 150 mM NaCl during germination and the early seedling stage. Tolerant and sensitive cultivars showed contrasting germination performance under salinity. Physiological analysis showed that salt-tolerant cultivars exhibited higher proline accumulation and higher antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, SOD, and GR), while maintaining lower MDA levels under salinity compared with sensitive cultivars. Notably, tolerant cultivars showed marked upregulation of TaHKT1;4, TaP5CS, TaMYB, and TaDHN genes associated with ion homeostasis, osmoprotectant metabolism, and stress-responsive regulation. These responses represent integrated early-stage biochemical, physiological, and transcriptional indicators of salinity responsiveness rather than direct predictors of final yield performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress)
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22 pages, 11021 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of NF-YA Transcription Factors in Strawberry and Their Responses to Salt Stress
by Jiajie Yu, Xiang Zhang, Shuang Wang, Dian Wang, Yingzhu Gao and Xiaohong Li
Plants 2026, 15(10), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15101475 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 432
Abstract
Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor family plays essential roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. However, the NF-YA subfamily in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) has not been systematically characterized from a genome-wide range. In this study, 27 [...] Read more.
Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor family plays essential roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. However, the NF-YA subfamily in cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) has not been systematically characterized from a genome-wide range. In this study, 27 FaNF-YA genes were identified from the octoploid strawberry genome and classified into four phylogenetic groups. With bioinformatic methods, it was found that all FaNF-YA proteins contain a highly conserved CCAAT-binding domain, while their exon–intron structures and motif compositions vary among groups. Promoter cis-acting element analysis revealed various stress- and hormone-responsive motifs, including ABRE, MYB, MYC, and MeJA-responsive elements. With molecular biology methods, organ-specific expression profiling was generated and showed that FaNF-YA genes exhibit distinct spatial expression patterns, with extremely low transcript abundance in fruit. Under salt stress, several FaNF-YA groups (e.g., FaNF-YA14/16/18/22) were dramatically induced, which indicated their potential involvement in salt tolerance. Heterologous expression of FaNF-YA7 and FaNF-YA9 in yeast enhanced salt tolerance, and these two proteins did not exhibit transcription-activating activity in the yeast GAL4 system. This study provides a reference for understanding the roles of NF-YA genes in responses to abiotic stresses and potential targets for molecular breeding of stress-tolerant strawberry cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress)
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Review

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13 pages, 2104 KB  
Review
Soil Acidification Reshapes Microbial Trophic Interactions, with Implications for Plant Responses and Ecosystem Functioning in Tea Plantation Systems
by Seda Bodur, Rasit Asiloglu and Keziban Yazici
Plants 2026, 15(13), 1929; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15131929 (registering DOI) - 23 Jun 2026
Abstract
Soil acidification is a widespread consequence of intensive agriculture and represents a major abiotic stress affecting plant performance, nutrient availability, and ecosystem functioning. Long-term tea (Camellia sinensis) plantations provide model systems of chronic acidification, where sustained low pH imposes strong environmental [...] Read more.
Soil acidification is a widespread consequence of intensive agriculture and represents a major abiotic stress affecting plant performance, nutrient availability, and ecosystem functioning. Long-term tea (Camellia sinensis) plantations provide model systems of chronic acidification, where sustained low pH imposes strong environmental filtering on soil microbial communities. Although microbial responses to acidification have been extensively studied, research has focused predominantly on bacteria and fungi, leaving other key functional groups, particularly protists, largely overlooked. Here, we synthesize current knowledge on microbial communities in acidified soils and highlight trophic interactions, especially protist-mediated regulation, as a potentially critical but underexplored dimension linking abiotic stress to plant–soil processes. We propose that soil acidification may not only filter microbial community composition but also reshape trophic interactions. Based on evidence from other soil systems, protist-mediated trophic interactions could influence nutrient cycling, pathogen suppression, and ultimately plant responses under stress conditions. Integrating environmental filtering with trophic perspectives provides a conceptual framework for understanding microbiome dynamics in acidified soils. However, direct evidence linking protist-mediated trophic regulation to ecosystem functioning and plant performance in tea plantation soils remains limited and requires experimental validation. We further suggest that these systems provide unique opportunities to investigate how abiotic constraints and biotic interactions jointly shape plant performance. Addressing this gap is essential for advancing predictive understanding of plant–microbiome interactions under ongoing environmental change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress)
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