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Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress—2nd...
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Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2800

Editors

Dr. Lei Cao

E-Mail
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: salt and alkaline stress; Glycine soja; Glycine max; Lupinus angustifolius; tolerance mechanisms; oxidative stress; transcription factor; splicing factor; root morphology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yao Zhang

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Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: plant physiology; plant stress; plant biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qiang Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: stress physiology of leguminous crops; saline/alkaline stress; nutritional stress; bicarbonate stress; drought stress; low nitrogen stress; tolerance mechanisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Abiotic stresses significantly reduce crop quality and yield. To adapt to environmental stimuli, plants have acquired stress resistance mechanisms through long-term evolution. Therefore, elucidating the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress responses is essential for enhancing crop sustainability and addressing the increasing global demand for food production. This Special Issue aims to highlight regulatory mechanisms in economically important plants, including food crops, horticultural crops, oil crops, and ornamental crops, affected by various abiotic stresses such as salt–alkaline stress, extreme temperature stress (cold/heat), water stress (drought/flooding), heavy metal stress, etc. Studies investigating protein interactions, transcriptional regulatory pathways, splicing factor functions, or root development are particularly encouraged. Submitted manuscripts should be original work that has neither been published previously nor is currently under consideration for publication in other journals.

Dr. Lei Cao
Dr. Yao Zhang
Dr. Qiang Li
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

  • salt and alkaline stresses
  • cold and high temperature stresses
  • water and drought stresses
  • oxidative stress
  • hydroponic cultivation
  • hairy root induction
  • horticulture crops
  • oil crops
  • ornamental crops
  • tolerance mechanisms
  • protein interaction
  • transcription regulation
  • splicing factor
  • transcription factor
  • root development
  • root morphology
  • heavy metal stress
  • environment stimuli

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 27215 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Characterization of the HaALS Gene Family Reveals Its Potential Roles in Imazethapyr Tolerance in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)
by Pengyuan Xie, Jing Wang, Botong Tong, Chengqian Di, Fei Zhou and Wenjun Wang
Plants 2026, 15(14), 2113; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15142113 - 8 Jul 2026
Abstract
Acetolactate synthase (ALS; EC 2.2.1.6) catalyzes the first committed step in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis and is the molecular target of multiple herbicide classes, including the imidazolinones. Here, we performed a genome-wide characterization of the HaALS gene family in sunflower (Helianthus [...] Read more.
Acetolactate synthase (ALS; EC 2.2.1.6) catalyzes the first committed step in branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis and is the molecular target of multiple herbicide classes, including the imidazolinones. Here, we performed a genome-wide characterization of the HaALS gene family in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and investigated genotype-dependent transcriptional responses to imazethapyr. A total of 11 HaALS genes were identified and classified into three phylogenetic clades (Groups A–C). All HaALS proteins contained the conserved TPP_enzyme domains (TPP_enzyme_N, TPP_enzyme_M, and TPP_enzyme_C), and purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1) indicated strong evolutionary constraint on their core enzymatic function. Promoter analyses revealed abundant cis-regulatory elements associated with diverse stress and signaling inputs, supporting regulatory potential for herbicide-triggered transcriptional modulation. qRT-PCR analysis following imazethapyr application (0, 24, and 48 h) showed pronounced genotype-dependent expression reprogramming between the susceptible (S) and resistant (R) cultivars. In the R genotype, multiple HaALS members were strongly induced after treatment; specifically, HaALS4 reached a ~6-fold increase at 24 h and a >10-fold increase at 48 h, and HaALS11 increased to ~6–7-fold at 24 h while remaining above the baseline at 48 h; several additional paralogs exhibited intermediate induction (~3–8-fold by 48 h). In contrast, the S genotype showed limited changes (typically ~0.8–2-fold). Collectively, these findings define the evolutionary features of the sunflower HaALS family and identify herbicide-responsive paralogs that may contribute to imidazolinone tolerance, providing candidates for functional validation and molecular breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress—2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 6007 KB  
Article
Identification of the StPIFs Gene Family in Potato and Functional Analysis of StPIF4 Under Drought Stress
by Xiangdong Wang, Tianyuan Qin, Yihao Wang, Zhuanfang Pu, Panfeng Yao, Han Wang, Yuhui Liu, Zhen Liu, Jiangping Bai, Zhenzhen Bi and Chao Sun
Plants 2026, 15(11), 1623; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15111623 - 26 May 2026
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Abstract
Phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) were initially recognized as pivotal regulators of plant light signaling pathways. However, mounting evidence suggests that PIFs also exert significant influences on plant development and responses to stress. Here, we identified seven PIF genes in the potato genome [...] Read more.
Phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) were initially recognized as pivotal regulators of plant light signaling pathways. However, mounting evidence suggests that PIFs also exert significant influences on plant development and responses to stress. Here, we identified seven PIF genes in the potato genome and conducted comprehensive characterizations through phylogenetics, gene structure, conserved motif, synteny, chromosomal location analyses and cis-regulatory element. Transcriptome data and gene expression analysis showed that the StPIF4 gene was markedly induced by mannitol-induced water deficit. Additionally, the StPIF4 protein was primarily localized in the nucleus and plasma membrane. In order to explore the function of the StPIF4 gene under mannitol-induced water deficit, the StPIF4 gene was cloned, and several StPIF4 overexpression (OE) lines (OE-8, OE-10, and OE-11) and three RNA interference (RNAi) transgenic lines (RNAi-5, RNAi-9, and RNAi-11) were obtained. The OE lines displayed notable enhancements in various growth parameters such as plant height, leaf number, branch number, fresh weight, dry weight, total root length, root surface area, number of root forks, and number of root tips under mannitol-induced water deficit compared to the wild-type (WT) lines, whereas these parameters were significantly decreased in the RNAi lines. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) and the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars were also significantly increased under mannitol-induced water deficit, whereas the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and O2−, were significantly reduced in the OE lines compared to WT plants under mannitol-induced water deficit. Moreover, the stomatal aperture of the leaves and the water loss rate in the leaves of the OE lines were significantly reduced under mannitol-induced water deficit compared to the WT plants, whereas for the RNAi lines they were significantly increased. In addition, the overexpression of StPIF4 also upregulated expression of drought-responsive genes and ABA content under mannitol-induced water deficit. Collectively, these results highlight the positive role of the StPIF4 gene in enhancing potato tolerance to mannitol-induced water deficit by decreasing stomatal aperture, enhancing ROS scavenging and mitigating oxidative damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress—2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 20362 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of HIPP Genes and Functional Analysis of GsHIPP79 in Response to Alkaline Stress in Glycine soja
by Chengbo Zhang, Zichun Wei, Deqiang Ding, Zaib_un Nisa, Xiaoxia Jin and Chao Chen
Plants 2026, 15(6), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15060850 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein (HIPP) family genes are known to be involved in plant development and stress responses. Even though the HIPPs have been identified and characterized in some plants, the roles of these genes in plant abiotic stress tolerance remain unclear [...] Read more.
Heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein (HIPP) family genes are known to be involved in plant development and stress responses. Even though the HIPPs have been identified and characterized in some plants, the roles of these genes in plant abiotic stress tolerance remain unclear in G. soja (Glycine soja), especially in response to alkaline stress. In the present study, a total of 79 potential HIPP family genes were obtained in G. soja using the Hidden Markov Model. Bioinformatics analysis was used to explore their physicochemical properties, gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, cis-acting elements, chromosomal location and collinearity. Expression profiling showed that 18 HIPP family genes were displayed significantly different transcript levels under alkaline stress, among which GsHIPP79 was selected for functional characterization. The results showed that GsHIPP79 exhibited enhanced alkaline stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, as evidenced by it exhibiting higher chlorophyll contents, strengthening the antioxidant defense system, and regulating the expression of stress-responsive marker genes. Moreover, overexpression of GsHIPP79 in transgenic soybean hairy roots conferred enhanced alkaline stress tolerance. In conclusion, this study provided valuable information on HIPP family genes in G. soja and identified the positive roles of GsHIPP79 in response to alkaline stress tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress—2nd Edition)
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Review

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16 pages, 1513 KB  
Review
Functional Analysis of MADS-Box Gene Family in Stress Response and Prospects of Breeding Application
by Jiaxuan Wang, Hongying Wang, Mengyao Li, Yujie Chen, Bingyan Song, Yingying Li, Xuhui Meng, Jie Li, Wenting Lu, Yi Gao, Yao Zhang and Aoxue Wang
Plants 2026, 15(8), 1262; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15081262 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 718
Abstract
The MADS-box family is a multifunctional family of transcription factors characterized by the presence of a unique MADS domain, which plays an important part in regulating essential biological processes, including metabolic synthesis and the stress response. In this review, we analyze the structural [...] Read more.
The MADS-box family is a multifunctional family of transcription factors characterized by the presence of a unique MADS domain, which plays an important part in regulating essential biological processes, including metabolic synthesis and the stress response. In this review, we analyze the structural features and classification of MADS-box proteins, then summarize the functions of the MADS-box family in the stress response. The MADS-box family can directly regulate downstream functional genes by binding to the CArG-box in the promoters of target genes, thereby influencing growth, development, and stress responses. Also, MADS-box transcription factors can form protein complexes with both MADS-box proteins and other types of transcription factors and chromatin regulatory proteins to modulate the chromatin state or transcriptional activation. Furthermore, they can regulate plant physiological responses by facilitating the synthesis of essential signaling molecules, including hormones and non-coding RNA. Finally, we discuss the potential of the MADS-box family in crop molecular breeding, offering a novel approach for developing high-yield and stress-resistant cultivars for solving global food security and climate change challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Resistance to Abiotic Stress—2nd Edition)
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