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Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress

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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: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 62832

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Dr. Marta Libik-Konieczny

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Guest Editor

Polish Academy of Sciences, The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Kraków, Poland
Interests: abiotic stress; reactive oxygen species; signal transduction; morphogenesis in vitro; secondary metabolites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Abiotic stress represents a key environmental element that may substantially limit plants growth and developent. It comprises all environmental perturbations in temperature, light, humidity, and nutrient availability that plants may encounter in nature. To ensure their survival, plants evolved a mechanism to anticipate changes in the environment and then to mount an effective acclimatory response. The processes underlying endurance and acclimatization to changing environments have long been the focus of intensive research. Consequently, the literature concerning plant responses to abiotic stress is vast. The impact of abiotic stress on plant performance has been explored at many different levels, in a great variety of model and crop species. These studies refer to physiological responses, molecular signaling pathways, ecophysiology and crop breeding studies.

Facing the problem of global climate warming and anthropogenic activities, it is of our duty to further investigate the mechanisms by which plants perceive environmental signals, transmit them to cellular machinery, and activate aclimatory responses. However, already published achievements, especially in molecular genetics, have contributed substantially to our understanding of the basis of abiotic stress defense, although there are still several questions yet to be answered. Progress has to be made towards understanding signalling processes, inducing stress acclimation in plants and the switch between growth and defense. The results of this research might help improve plant survival and crop yield enhancement under changing environments.

We encourage scientists from around the world to publish in this Special Issue on “Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress” in Plants; research papers, as well as the reviews of the most recent topics related to plants response to environmental conditions, are welcome. By attracting expertise on this topic, this Special Issues aims to add a new dimension to the field of plant acclimatization to global climatic changes.

Dr. Marta Libik-Konieczny
Guest Editor

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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.

Published Papers (13 papers)

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14 pages, 1718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accumulation of Silicon and Changes in Water Balance under Drought Stress in Brassica napus var. napus L.

by Diana Saja-Garbarz, Agnieszka Ostrowska, Katarzyna Kaczanowska and Franciszek Janowiak

Plants 2021, 10(2), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020280 - 01 Feb 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2964

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the accumulation of silicon in oilseed rape and to characterize the changes in chosen water balance parameters in response to drought. The following parameters were estimated: water content, osmotic and water potential, evapotranspiration, stomatal conductance and abscisic acid level under optimal and drought conditions. It was shown that oilseed rape plants accumulate silicon after its supplementation to the soil, both in the case of silicon alone and silicon together with iron. It was revealed that silicon (without iron) helps maintain constant water content under optimal conditions. While no silicon influence on osmotic regulation was observed, a transpiration decrease was detected under optimal conditions after silicon application. Under drought, a reduction in stomatal conductance was observed, but it was similar for all plants. The decrease in leaf water content under drought was accompanied by a significant increase in abscisic acid content in leaves of control plants and those treated with silicon together with iron. To sum up, under certain conditions, silicon is accumulated even in non-accumulator species, such as oilseed rape, and presumably improves water uptake under drought stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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19 pages, 3141 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Vicia faba L. Plants Heterologously Expressing the PR10a Gene from Potato

by Abeer F. Desouky, Ahmed H. Hanafy Ahmed, Hartmut Stützel, Hans-Jörg Jacobsen, Yi-Chen Pao and Moemen S. Hanafy

Plants 2021, 10(1), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010173 - 18 Jan 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2842

Abstract

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins are known to play relevant roles in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present study, we characterize the response of transgenic faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants encoding a PR10a gene from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to salinity and drought. The transgene was under the mannopine synthetase (pMAS) promoter. PR10a-overexpressing faba bean plants showed better growth than the wild-type plants after 14 days of drought stress and 30 days of salt stress under hydroponic growth conditions. After removing the stress, the PR10a-plants returned to a normal state, while the wild-type plants could not be restored. Most importantly, there was no phenotypic difference between transgenic and non-transgenic faba bean plants under well-watered conditions. Evaluation of physiological parameters during salt stress showed lower Na⁺-content in the leaves of the transgenic plants, which would reduce the toxic effect. In addition, PR10a-plants were able to maintain vegetative growth and experienced fewer photosystem changes under both stresses and a lower level of osmotic stress injury under salt stress compared to wild-type plants. Taken together, our findings suggest that the PR10a gene from potato plays an important role in abiotic stress tolerance, probably by activation of stress-related physiological processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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23 pages, 4888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanistic Insight of Allantoin in Protecting Tomato Plants Against Ultraviolet C Stress

by Mona F. A. Dawood, Md. Tahjib-Ul-Arif, Abdullah Al Mamun Sohag, Arafat Abdel Hamed Abdel Latef and Marwa M. Ragaey

Plants 2021, 10(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010011 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3851

Abstract

Allantoin ((AT) a purine metabolite)-mediated ultraviolet C (UVC) stress mitigation has not been studied to date. Here, we reported the physicochemical mechanisms of UVC-induced stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants, including an AT-directed mitigation strategy. UVC stress reduced plant growth and photosynthetic pigments. Heatmap and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that these toxic impacts were triggered by the greater oxidative damage and disruption of osmolyte homeostasis. However, pre-treatment of AT noticeably ameliorated the stress-induced toxicity as evident by enhanced chlorophyll, soluble protein, and soluble carbohydrate contents in AT-pretreated UVC-stressed plants relative to only stressed plants leading to the improvement of the plant growth and biomass. Moreover, AT pre-treatment enhanced endogenous AT and allantoate content, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, non-enzymatic antioxidants, and the enzymatic antioxidants leading to reduced oxidative stress markers compared with only stressed plants, indicating the protective effect of AT against oxidative damage. Moreover, PCA displayed that the protective roles of AT strongly associate with the improved antioxidants. On the other hand, post-treatment of AT showed less efficacy in UVC stress mitigation relative to pre-treatment of AT. Overall, this finding illustrated that AT pre-treatment could be an effective way to counteract the UVC stress in tomato, and perhaps in other crop plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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17 pages, 4780 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological Performance of Pyrus pyraster L. (Burgsd.) and Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz Seedlings under Drought Treatment

by Viera Paganová, Marek Hus and Zuzana Jureková

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1496; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111496 - 05 Nov 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1641

Abstract

In this study, seedlings of Pyrus pyraster and Sorbus torminalis were grown for 60 days in the regulated environment of a growth chamber under different water regimes. The measured indicators were the growth and distribution of mass to organs, total biomass, root to shoot mass ratio (R:S), and gas exchange parameters (g_s, E, A_n, and water use efficiency (WUE)). The amount of total biomass was negatively affected by drought. Differences between species were confirmed only for the dry matter of the leaves. P. pyraster maintained the ratio of the mass distribution between belowground and aboveground organs in both variants of the water regime. S. torminalis created more root length for a given dry-mass under drought treatment, but its R:S was lower compared to P. pyraster. The water potential of the leaves (Ψ_wl) was affected by substrate saturation and interspecific differences. P. pyraster had a demonstrably higher water potential and maintained this difference even after prolonged exposure to drought. After 30 days of different water regimes, Pyrus maintained higher values of g_s, A_n, and E in control and drought treatments, but over a longer period of drought (after 50 days), the differences between species were equalized. The changes of the leaf gas exchange for Pyrus were accompanied by a significant increase in WUE, which was most pronounced on the 40th day of the experiment. A significant and strong relationship between WUE and g_s was demonstrated. The results confirmed the different physiological performances of seedlings of tree species and the different mechanisms of their response to water scarcity during drought treatment. P. pyraster presented more acclimation traits, which allowed this taxon to exhibit better performance over a longer period of water scarcity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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18 pages, 60833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Polyethylene Glycol on Leaf Anatomy, Stomatal Behavior, Water Loss, and Some Physiological Traits of Date Palm Plantlets Grown In Vitro and Ex Vitro

by Amal F. M. Zein El Din, Mohamed F. M. Ibrahim, Reham Farag, Hany G. Abd El-Gawad, Ahmed El-Banhawy, Ibrahim A. Alaraidh, Younes M. Rashad, Islam Lashin, Ahmed Abou El-Yazied, Amr Elkelish and Ola H. Abd Elbar

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1440; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111440 - 26 Oct 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3773

Abstract

Few reports explain the mechanism of PEG action on stomatal behavior and anatomical structure and analyze the photosynthetic pigments of in vitro date palm plantlets for better tolerance to ex vitro exposure. The main challenge for in vitro micropropagation of date palm techniques remains restricted to high survival rates and vigorous growth after ex vitro transplantation. In vitro hardening is induced by Polyethylene glycol PEG (0.0, 10, 20, 30 g L⁻¹) for 4 weeks. Leaf anatomy, stomatal behavior, water loss %, photosynthetic pigments, and reducing sugars were examined in date palm plantlets (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cv. (Sewi) after 4 weeks from in vitro PEG treatment and after 4 weeks from ex vitro transplanting to the greenhouse. Leaf anatomy and the surface ultrastructure of in vitro untreated leaves showed a thin cuticle layer, wide opened malfunctioning stomata, and abnormal leaf anatomy. Furthermore, addition of PEG resulted in increasing cuticle thickness, epicuticular wax depositions, and plastids density, improving the stomatal ability to close and decreasing the stomatal aperture length while reducing the substomatal chambers and intercellular spaces in the mesophyll. As a result, a significant reduction in water loss % was observed in both in vitro and ex vitro PEG treated leaves as compared to untreated ones, which exhibited rapid wilting when exposed to low humidity for 4 h. PEG application significantly increased Chlorophylls a, b and carotenoids concentrations, especially 10, 20 g L⁻¹ treatments, which were sequentially reflected in increasing the reducing sugar concentration. However, leaves of plantlets treated with PEG at 30 g L⁻¹ became yellow and had necrosis ends with death. In vitro hardening by 20 g L⁻¹ PEG increased the survival rate of plantlets to 90% after ex vitro transfer compared to 63% recorded for the untreated plantlets. Therefore, this application provides normal date palm plantlets developed faster and enhances survival after ex vitro transfer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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13 pages, 3967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Source of Oxygen Fed to Adventitious Roots of Syzygium kunstleri (King) Bahadur and R.C. Gaur Grown in Hypoxic Conditions

by Hong-Duck Sou, Masaya Masumori, Goro Ezaki and Takeshi Tange

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1433; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111433 - 24 Oct 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2053

Abstract

Syzygium kunstleri, a woody plant species, adapts to hypoxic conditions by developing new adventitious roots. Here, we investigate its morphological adaptation to long-term water level changes and the sources and pathways of O₂ supplied to its adventitious roots. Cuttings were cultivated in hydroponic and agar media, and then, the water level was increased by 6 cm following adventitious root emergence; afterward, O₂ partial pressure changes were measured using a Clark-type O₂ microelectrode. O₂ concentrations in the adventitious roots decreased when N₂ was injected, regardless of the presence of light, indicating that the O₂ source was not photosynthetic when bark was removed. New adventitious roots developed near the surface when the water level increased, and O₂ conditions above the raised water level influenced O₂ concentrations in adventitious roots. O₂ concentrations in adventitious roots that developed before the water level increased were lower than in the newly developed adventitious roots but increased when the O₂ concentrations above the original water level increased. Our study highlights morphological changes, such as the development of adventitious roots, as environmental adaptation mechanisms. By revealing O₂ sources in S. kunstleri under hypoxic environments, we offer insights into the challenges of long-term adaptation to changing environments in woody plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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17 pages, 3679 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of the Photosynthetic Capacity of Phragmites australis in Five Habitats in Saline‒Alkaline Wetlands

by Subang An, Xingtu Liu, Bolong Wen, Xiaoyu Li, Peng Qi and Kun Zhang

Plants 2020, 9(10), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101317 - 06 Oct 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2924

Abstract

Water shortages have an important impact on the photosynthetic capacity of Phragmites australis. However, this impact has not been adequately studied from the perspective of photosynthesis. An in-depth study of the photosynthetic process can help in better understanding the impact of water shortages on the photosynthetic capacity of P. australis, especially on the microscale. The aim of this study is to explore the photosynthetic adaptation strategies to environmental changes in saline‒alkaline wetlands. The light response curves and CO₂ response curves of P. australis in five habitats (hygrophilous, xerophytic, psammophytic, abandoned farmland, paddy field drainage) in saline‒alkaline wetlands were measured at different stages of their life history, and we used a nonrectangular hyperbolic model to fit the data. It was concluded that P. australis utilized coping strategies that differed between the growing and breeding seasons. P. australis in abandoned farmland during the growing season had the highest apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) and photosynthetic utilization efficiency for weak light because of the dark environment. The dark respiration rate of P. australis in the drainage area of paddy fields was the lowest, and it had the highest values for photorespiration rate, maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax), photosynthetic capacity (Pa), biomass, maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), and maximum electron transfer rate (Jmax). The light insensitivity of P. australis increased with the transition from growing to breeding season, and the dark respiration rate also showed a downward trend. Moreover, Vcmax and Jmax would decline when Pmax and Pa showed a declining trend, and vice versa. In other words, Vcmax and Jmax could explain changes in the photosynthetic capacity to some extent. These findings contribute to providing insights that Vcmax and Jmax can directly reflect the variation in photosynthetic capacity of P. australis under water shortages in saline‒alkaline wetlands and in other parts of world where there are problems with similarly harmful environmental conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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18 pages, 2906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Common Ice Plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.)–Phytoremediation Potential for Cadmium and Chromate-Contaminated Soils

by Marta Śliwa-Cebula, Paweł Kaszycki, Adriana Kaczmarczyk, Michał Nosek, Agnieszka Lis-Krzyścin and Zbigniew Miszalski

Plants 2020, 9(9), 1230; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091230 - 18 Sep 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4458

Abstract

The common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) is a widely studied model due to its tolerance to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, carried out in model pots, the plants were treated with variant doses of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) and proved resistant to extreme levels of these heavy metals. Initial toxicity symptoms were observed upon final concentrations of 818 mg Cd kg⁻¹ soil d.w., and 1699 mg Cr kg⁻¹ applied as potassium chromate. Biometric analyses revealed that none of the Cr(VI) doses affected dry weight of the plant organs thus maintaining the shoot-to-root ratio. The Cd and Cr hypertolerance strategies were divergent and resulted in different accumulation patterns. For the case of Cd(II), an excluder-like mechanism was developed to prevent the plant from toxicity. For chromate, high accumulation potential together with Cr(VI) root-to-shoot translocation at sublethal concentrations was revealed (up to 6152 mg Cr kg⁻¹ shoot at 4248 mg Cr kg⁻¹ soil). It is concluded that M. crystallinum reveals considerable phytoremediation capabilities due to unique growth potential in contaminated substrates and is suitable for bioreclamation of degraded soils. The plant is especially applicable for efficient phytoextraction of chromate-contamination, whereas for Cd-affected areas it may have a phytostabilizing effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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15 pages, 1450 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heterogeneous Light Conditions Reduce the Assimilate Translocation Towards Maize Ears

by Guopeng Chen, Hong Chen, Kai Shi, Muhammad Ali Raza, George Bawa, Xin Sun, Tian Pu, Taiwen Yong, Weiguo Liu, Jiang Liu, Junbo Du, Feng Yang, Wenyu Yang and Xiaochun Wang

Plants 2020, 9(8), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9080987 - 04 Aug 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3170

Abstract

The border row crop in strip intercropped maize is often exposed to heterogeneous light conditions, resulting in increased photosynthesis and yield decreased. Previous studies have focused on photosynthetic productivity, whereas carbon allocation could also be one of the major causes of decreased yield. However, carbon distribution remains unclear in partially shaded conditions. In the present study, we applied heterogeneous light conditions (T), and one side of plants was shaded (T-30%), keeping the other side fully exposed to light (T-100%), as compared to control plants that were exposed entirely to full-light (CK). Dry weight, carbon assimilation, ¹³C abundance, and transport tissue structure were analyzed to clarify the carbon distribution in partial shading of plants. T caused a marked decline in dry weight and harvest index (HI), whereas dry weight in unshaded and shaded leaves did not differ. Net photosynthesis rate (Pn), the activity of sucrose phosphate synthase enzymes (SPS), and sucrose concentration increased in unshaded leaves. Appropriately, 5.7% of the ¹³C from unshaded leaves was transferred to shaded leaves. Furthermore, plasmodesma density in the unshaded (T-100%) and shaded (T-30%) leaves in T was not significantly different but was lower than that of CK. Similarly, the vascular bundle total area of T was decreased. ¹³C transfer from unshaded leaves to ear in T was decreased by 18.0% compared with that in CK. Moreover, ¹³C and sucrose concentration of stem in T were higher than those in CK. Our results suggested that, under heterogeneous light, shaded leaves as a sink imported the carbohydrates from the unshaded leaves. Ear and shaded leaf competed for carbohydrates, and were not conducive to tissue structure of sucrose transport, resulting in a decrease in the carbon proportion in the ear, harvest index, and ear weight. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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16 pages, 2867 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Acid Rain Alter the Leaf Anatomy and Photosynthetic Pigments in Urban Trees?

by Verónica M. Rodríguez-Sánchez, Ulises Rosas, Germán Calva-Vásquez and Estela Sandoval-Zapotitla

Plants 2020, 9(7), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070862 - 08 Jul 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 11126

Abstract

Megapolis such as Mexico City, have atmospheric pollutants that interact with the humidity and solar radiation. The topography of this city promotes air stagnation, generating atmospheric pollutants and episodes of acid rain, a phenomenon well recorded since the end of the 1980s. However, little we know about how urban trees respond to acid rain in the city. Here we present how simulated acid rain causes anatomical and changes in photosynthetic pigments in two of the most abundant urban trees in Mexico City: Liquidambar styraciflua L. and Fraxinus uhdei (Wenz.) Lingelsh. We first described the leaf anatomy of both species. Then, we used one-year-old trees sprayed with sulfuric acid solutions at pH 2.5 and 3.8, and evaluated visible leaf damage, anatomical alterations, and chlorophyll contents. In both species, the pH 2.5 caused cuticle alterations and areas of total tissue destruction. L. styraciflua showed greater sensitivity, but we discuss some of the tolerance mechanisms. Finally, acid rain also reduced the chlorophyll contents. These results contribute toward a catalogue of urban tree species to describe pollution-induced damages, and the identification of tolerant species useful for short- and mid-term detection of environmental crisis, in cities with similar environmental conditions and urban tree composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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20 pages, 1177 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Cadmium Tolerance and Pea Plant Health through Enterobacter sp. MN17 Inoculation Together with Biochar and Gravel Sand

by Muhammad Naveed, Adnan Mustafa, Samar Majeed, Zainab Naseem, Qudsia Saeed, Abdulhameed Khan, Ahmad Nawaz, Khurram Shehzad Baig and Jen-Tsung Chen

Plants 2020, 9(4), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040530 - 20 Apr 2020

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4162

Abstract

Contamination of soils with heavy metals, particularly cadmium (Cd), is an increasingly alarming environmental issue around the world. Application of organic and inorganic immobilizing amendments such as biochar and gravel sand in combination with metal-tolerant microbes has the potential to minimize the bioavailability of Cd to plants. The present study was designed to identify the possible additive effects of the application of Enterobacter sp. MN17 as well as biochar and gravel sand on the reduction of Cd stress in plants and improvement of growth and nutritional quality of pea (Pisum sativum) plants through the reduction of Cd uptake. Pea seeds were surface sterilized then non-inoculated seeds and seeds inoculated with Enterobacter sp. MN17 were planted in artificially Cd-polluted soil, amended with the immobilizing agents biochar and gravel sand. Application of biochar and gravel sand alone and in combination not only improved the growth and nutritional quality of pea plants by in situ immobilization but also reduced the uptake of Cd by plant roots and its transport to shoots. However, microbial inoculation further enhanced the overall plant health as well as alleviated the toxic effects of Cd on the pea plants. These soil treatments also improved rates of photosynthesis and transpiration. The combined use of biochar and gravel sand with bacterial inoculation resulted in an increase in plant height (47%), shoot dry weight (42%), root dry weight (57%), and 100 seeds weight (49%) as compared to control plants in Cd contaminated soil. Likewise, biochemical constituents of pea seeds (protein, fat, fiber, and ash) were significantly increased up to 41%, 74%, 32%, and 72%, respectively, with the combined use of these immobilizing agents and bacterium. Overall, this study demonstrated that the combined application of biochar and gravel sand, particularly in combination with Enterobacter sp. MN17, could be an efficient strategy for the remediation of Cd contaminated soil. It could support better growth and nutritional quality of pea plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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15 pages, 966 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Expression of Genes Involved in Heavy Metal Trafficking in Plants Exposed to Salinity Stress and Elevated Cd Concentrations

by Michał Nosek, Adriana Kaczmarczyk, Roman J. Jędrzejczyk, Paulina Supel, Paweł Kaszycki and Zbigniew Miszalski

Plants 2020, 9(4), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040475 - 09 Apr 2020

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3774

Abstract

Many areas intended for crop production suffer from the concomitant occurrence of heavy metal pollution and elevated salinity; therefore, halophytes seem to represent a promising perspective for the bioremediation of contaminated soils. In this study, the influence of Cd treatment (0.01–10.0 mM) and salinity stress (0.4 M NaCl) on the expression of genes involved in heavy metal uptake (irt2–iron-regulated protein 2, zip4–zinc-induced protein 4), vacuolar sequestration (abcc2–ATP-binding cassette 2, cax4–cation exchanger 2 pcs1–phytochelatin synthase 1) and translocation into aerial organs (hma4–heavy metal ATPase 4) were analyzed in a soil-grown semi-halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. The upregulation of irt2 expression induced by salinity was additionally enhanced by Cd treatment. Such changes were not observed for zip4. Stressor-induced alterations in abcc2, cax4, hma4 and pcs1 expression were most pronounced in the root tissue, and the expression of cax4, hma4 and pcs1 was upregulated in response to salinity and Cd. However, the cumulative effect of both stressors, similar to the one described for irt2, was observed only in the case of pcs1. The importance of salt stress in the irt2 expression regulation mechanism is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report the combined effect of salinity and heavy metal stress on genes involved in heavy metal trafficking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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13 pages, 1133 KiB

Open AccessReview

Physiological and Molecular Mechanism Involved in Cold Stress Tolerance in Plants

by Faujiah Nurhasanah Ritonga and Su Chen

Plants 2020, 9(5), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9050560 - 28 Apr 2020

Cited by 212 | Viewed by 14442

Abstract

Previous studies have reported that low temperature (LT) constrains plant growth and restricts productivity in temperate regions. However, the underlying mechanisms are complex and not well understood. Over the past ten years, research on the process of adaptation and tolerance of plants during cold stress has been carried out. In molecular terms, researchers prioritize research into the field of the ICE-CBF-COR signaling pathway which is believed to be the important key to the cold acclimation process. Inducer of CBF Expression (ICE) is a pioneer of cold acclimation and plays a central role in C-repeat binding (CBF) cold induction. CBFs activate the expression of COR genes via binding to cis-elements in the promoter of COR genes. An ICE-CBF-COR signaling pathway activates the appropriate expression of downstream genes, which encodes osmoregulation substances. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of cold stress tolerance in plants from molecular and physiological perspectives and other factors, such as hormones, light, and circadian clock. Understanding the process of cold stress tolerance and the genes involved in the signaling network for cold stress is essential for improving plants, especially crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Acclimatization to Abiotic Stress)

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