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The Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants
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The Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 4329

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Emily Rose Palm

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
Interests: how plants acclimate to abiotic stress conditions in their environment through adjustments in photosynthetic efficiency, growth and ion uptake rates; the mechanisms behind adaptation to elevated heavy metal concentrations in the soil, both naturally occurring (serpentine) and from anthropogenic sources (phytoremediation); how salt-tolerant species can be used in adapting our agricultural systems for the future under current climate projections

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Given the sessile nature of plants, it is essential that they are able to adapt to fluctuations in abiotic resources in their environment to survive. Climate change is amplifying abiotic stress conditions, with significant shifts in temperature regimes, exacerbated drought conditions, increasing soil salinity and greater instability in resource availability. Through studies of drought, salt and temperature stress tolerance, we know that plants may alter their primary and secondary metabolism and make physiological and morphological adjustments to cope to a certain degree. Complex networks of chemical and hormonal signaling and changes in gene expression provide insight into the factors that may determine stress tolerance and sensitivity. In many instances, these responses are mediated or augmented by interactions with microbial communities both below- and aboveground. While this adds to the complexity of the response observed, it also highlights the role that interconnectivity between organisms may play in mediating the response. To maintain a secure food supply and guide conservation efforts, it is essential to determine the thresholds of the physiological response of plants to extremes in abiotic factors in the context of their full biotic and abiotic niche. This Special Issue of Plants will feature research on the physiology response of plants to a wide range of environmental stresses, including temperature, drought, salinity, light, heavy metals and other anthropogenic contaminants. Studies using multidisciplinary techniques to investigate mechanisms of tolerance (biochemical, molecular) and those demonstrating interactions between plants and microbiota to combat environmental stress factors are especially welcome.

Dr. Emily Rose Palm
Guest Editor

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 stress
  • genomics
  • growth regulation
  • metabolomics
  • phyllosphere physiological adaptation
  • primary metabolism
  • secondary metabolism
  • signaling networks
  • soil microbiome

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 11418 KiB  
Article
Physiological Responses and Salt Tolerance Evaluation of Different Varieties of Bougainvillea under Salt Stress
by Di Zhang, Yuan Xue, Ning Feng, Jing Bai, Dexing Ma, Qianqian Sheng, Fuliang Cao and Zunling Zhu
Plants 2024, 13(17), 2409; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13172409 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1646
Abstract
Soil salinization significantly impacts the ecological environment and agricultural production, posing a threat to plant growth. Currently, there are over 400 varieties of Bougainvillea with horticultural value internationally. However, research on the differences in salt tolerance among Bougainvillea varieties is still insufficient. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Soil salinization significantly impacts the ecological environment and agricultural production, posing a threat to plant growth. Currently, there are over 400 varieties of Bougainvillea with horticultural value internationally. However, research on the differences in salt tolerance among Bougainvillea varieties is still insufficient. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the physiological responses and tolerance differences of various Bougainvillea varieties under different concentrations of salt stress, reveal the effects of salt stress on their growth and physiology, and study the adaptation mechanisms of these varieties related to salt stress. The experimental materials consisted of five varieties of Bougainvillea. Based on the actual salinity concentrations in natural saline-alkali soils, we used a pot-controlled salt method for the experiment, with four treatment concentrations set: 0.0% (w/v) (CK), 0.2% (w/v), 0.4% (w/v), and 0.6% (w/v). After the Bougainvillea plants grew stably, salt stress was applied and the growth, physiology, and salt tolerance of the one-year-old plants were systematically measured and assessed. The key findings were as follows: Salt stress inhibited the growth and biomass of the five varieties of Bougainvillea; the ‘Dayezi’ variety showed severe salt damage, while the ‘Shuihong’ variety exhibited minimal response. As the salt concentration and duration of salt stress increase, the trends of the changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and osmotic regulation systems in the leaves of the five Bougainvillea species differ. Membrane permeability and the production of membrane oxidative products showed an upward trend with stress severity. The salt tolerance of the five varieties of Bougainvillea was comprehensively evaluated through principal component analysis. It was found that the ‘Shuihong’ variety exhibited the highest salt tolerance, followed by the ‘Lvyehuanghua’, ‘Xiaoyezi’, ‘Tazi’, and ‘Dayezi’ varieties. Therefore, Bougainvillea ‘Shuihong’, ‘Lvyehuanghua’, and ‘Xiaoyezi’ are recommended for extensive cultivation in saline-alkali areas. The investigation focuses primarily on how Bougainvillea varieties respond to salt stress from the perspectives of growth and physiological levels. Future research could explore the molecular mechanisms behind the responses to and tolerance of different Bougainvillea varieties as to salt stress, providing a more comprehensive understanding and basis for practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants)
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17 pages, 2886 KiB  
Article
Changes in Photosystem II Complex and Physiological Activities in Pea and Maize Plants in Response to Salt Stress
by Martin A. Stefanov, Georgi D. Rashkov, Preslava B. Borisova and Emilia L. Apostolova
Plants 2024, 13(7), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13071025 - 3 Apr 2024
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2143
Abstract
Salt stress significantly impacts the functions of the photosynthetic apparatus, with varying degrees of damage to its components. Photosystem II (PSII) is more sensitive to environmental stresses, including salinity, than photosystem I (PSI). This study investigated the effects of different salinity levels (0 [...] Read more.
Salt stress significantly impacts the functions of the photosynthetic apparatus, with varying degrees of damage to its components. Photosystem II (PSII) is more sensitive to environmental stresses, including salinity, than photosystem I (PSI). This study investigated the effects of different salinity levels (0 to 200 mM NaCl) on the PSII complex in isolated thylakoid membranes from hydroponically grown pea (Pisum sativum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) plants treated with NaCl for 5 days. The data revealed that salt stress inhibits the photochemical activity of PSII (H2O → BQ), affecting the energy transfer between the pigment–protein complexes of PSII (as indicated by the fluorescence emission ratio F695/F685), QA reoxidation, and the function of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). These processes were more significantly affected in pea than in maize under salinity. Analysis of the oxygen evolution curves after flashes and continuous illumination showed a stronger influence on the PSIIα than PSIIβ centers. The inhibition of oxygen evolution was associated with an increase in misses (α), double hits (β), and blocked centers (SB) and a decrease in the rate constant of turnover of PSII reaction centers (KD). Salinity had different effects on the two pathways of QA reoxidation in maize and pea. In maize, the electron flow from QA- to plastoquinone was dominant after treatment with higher NaCl concentrations (150 mM and 200 mM), while in pea, the electron recombination on QAQB- with oxidized S2 (or S3) of the OEC was more pronounced. Analysis of the 77 K fluorescence emission spectra revealed changes in the ratio of the light-harvesting complex of PSII (LHCII) monomers and trimers to LHCII aggregates after salt treatment. There was also a decrease in pigment composition and an increase in oxidative stress markers, membrane injury index, antioxidant activity (FRAP assay), and antiradical activity (DPPH assay). These effects were more pronounced in pea than in maize after treatment with higher NaCl concentrations (150 mM–200 mM). This study provides insights into how salinity influences the processes in the donor and acceptor sides of PSII in plants with different salt sensitivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Environmental Stress Physiology of Plants)
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