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Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance

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A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 5214

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhaohui Chu

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Interests: plant–pathogen interaction; spatial resistance; biotic stress; plant defense; plant genetics; plant molecular biology; disease resistance; plant secondary metabolism; molecular breeding
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Dr. Wei Yang

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Guest Editor

National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China
Interests: plant disease; genes; resistance; regulation; stress tolerance; abiotic stress; drought

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Development and stress tolerance are key traits of plants necessary to establish their species-specific and environmental adaptation characteristics. Plant hormones, also known as phytohormones, are chemicals that are involved in plants’ development and stress tolerance. Classic plant hormones are expanded into nine categories such as auxins, ethylene, abscisic acid, gibberellins, cytokinins, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, strigolactone, and brassinosteroids. They have been broadly involved in the regulation of plant cell processes, either independently or involving crosstalk. This Special Issue, entitled “Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance”, aims to collect comprehensive reviews and articles focused on the latest progress on the study of plant development, abiotic and biotic stresses, plant hormone signaling transduction pathways, and their crosstalk. Additionally, any relative topics presenting high-quality findings on plant hormones will be considered as well.

Prof. Dr. Zhaohui Chu
Dr. Wei Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

plant hormones
abiotic stress
auxins
jasmonic acid
signal pathway

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 3486 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mining and Analysis of Salt Tolerance Genes in Maize at the Seedling Stage

by Zhenping Ren, Zelong Zhuang, Jianwen Bian, Wanling Ta, Xiaojia Hao, Lei Zhang and Yunling Peng

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(4), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48040423 - 20 Apr 2026

Viewed by 516

Abstract

Salt stress represents a significant abiotic stress factor that adversely affects plant growth and development. It directly inhibits both vegetative and reproductive growth, resulting in substantial reductions in crop yield and quality. Consequently, the identification of salt tolerance genes and the elucidation of their underlying molecular mechanisms are crucial for improving crop salt tolerance and ensuring agricultural productivity. To investigate the molecular basis underlying differential salt tolerance between Zheng58 and PH4CV, we employed pooled sequencing (BSA-seq) using extreme phenotypic individuals from their F₂ population and conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis at the seedling stage of the two genotypes. Phenotypic, physiological, biochemical, and ion content analyses revealed that Zheng58 exhibited significantly superior performance compared to PH4CV under salt stress conditions. BSA-seq analysis identified six genomic regions associated with salt tolerance, encompassing a total of 391 genes. Functional annotation enabled the screening of 151 candidate genes potentially involved in salt stress responses. Transcriptome profiling indicated that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in biological processes, particularly plant hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathways. Integrating BSA-seq and transcriptome data, key candidate gene ZmACC2 (Zm00001eb419400) was identified as potentially involved in the regulation of salt tolerance in maize. This gene may modulate Na⁺/K⁺/Ca²⁺ homeostasis and reactive oxygen species metabolism through defense responses mediated by ethylene (ETH) and hydrogen peroxide, as well as through ion homeostasis regulatory pathways. This study provides valuable candidate genes and a theoretical foundation for further dissection of the molecular mechanisms governing salt tolerance in maize. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance)

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12 pages, 5258 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Salt Stress Adaptation Mechanisms in Cultivated Rice Varieties (Oryza sativa)

by Zihao Yuan, Ziqi Liu, Shengyu Mo, Feng Wang, Wuge Liu, Dilin Liu, Wu Yang, Yilong Liao, Leiqing Chen, Le Kong, Hui Wang, Tao Guo and Xing Huo

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(3), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48030321 - 18 Mar 2026

Viewed by 770

Abstract

Salt stress is an injurious concern of global climate change that negatively impacts the growth and yield of rice plants. Identifying salt tolerance genes is essential to understanding the molecular mechanism regulating salt tolerance in rice. In this study, we treated two rice varieties, Xiangxiuzhan (XXZ) and Changxiang (CXG), with 100 mM NaCl to examine the effect on the germination and growth stages. Transcriptome analysis was investigated for changes in gene expression between the two varieties. During the germination stage, the CXG variety had higher germination potential than the XXZ variety, whereas in the growth stage, the XXZ variety showed higher survival efficiency than the CXG variety. Transcriptome analysis showed that the XXZ variety had more DEGs in grains, while CXG displayed greater DEGs in leaves and roots. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway showed that beta-alanine metabolism, cutin biosynthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction were over-represented, whereas heatmap analysis showed cellular and environmental signal transduction. This study focuses on the molecular pathways of the salt stress tolerance mechanism of Xiangxiuzhan and Changxiang varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance)

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18 pages, 16237 KB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Analysis Identifies ScTCP6 as a Stress Responsive Gene in Rye

by Yanyan Ren, Rui Ma, Zhiruo Wang, Ling Li, Muhua Xie, Tingting Jiang, Jing Zhang and Qinggui Lian

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(3), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48030266 - 2 Mar 2026

Viewed by 686

Abstract

Teosinte branched1/cycloidea/proliferating cell factor (TCP) transcription factors are key regulators of plant growth and stress adaptation. However, their evolutionary history and functional divergence in rye (Secale cereale L.) remain unclear. Here, 26 ScTCP genes were identified from the reference rye genome. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses with six representative cereals (Secale cereale, H. vulgare, O. sativa, T. aestivum, Z. mays, and A. tauschii Coss) revealed that segmental duplication, rather than tandem repetition, drove ScTCP expansion, with ScTCP2 located in a conserved syntenic block shared across the Poaceae family. Promoter analysis identified numerous hormone- and stress-responsive cis-elements, while a predicted protein–protein interaction network indicated extensive cross-talk with ERF and MYB transcription factors. Expression profiling of 12 representative ScTCP genes using qRT-PCR across different organs, developmental stages, six abiotic stress conditions, and three hormone treatments showed that ScTCP6 plays an important role in rye development and in responses to hormonal signals and abiotic stresses. Therefore, this study provides the first genome-wide characterization of the TCP gene family in rye and contributes to a broader understanding of the evolution and functional diversification of the TCP superfamily in higher plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance)

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16 pages, 2623 KB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals an Early Response Gene SlNSP-like Involved in Solanum lycopersicum Response to DC3000 Infection

by Junqing Li, Mengjie Gu, Mengsen Yang, Huimin Tan, Wei Yang and Guanghui Qi

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48010011 - 22 Dec 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1120

Abstract

The hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (Pst) infects a range of plant species and causes enormous economic losses. Despite its agronomic significance, the molecular mechanisms underlying tomato–Pst interactions remain largely uncharacterized. To elucidate these mechanisms, we conducted a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis using infected tomato leaves inoculated with virulent strains Pst DC3000 at relatively early time points. RNA-sequencing of nine libraries identified stage-specific expression patterns, with DEG counts ranging from 484 to 1267 upregulated and from 560 to 844 downregulated genes. Enrichment analysis highlighted significant alterations in metabolic pathways, plant–pathogen interaction networks, and hormone signaling cascades, with marked transcriptional reprogramming observed between the pre- and post-infection stages. A longitudinal analysis of gene expression dynamics identified 15 consistently upregulated and 9 downregulated genes across all post-inoculation time points. Notably, in several candidate genes, a homologous gene of AtNSP2, SlNSP-Like was confirmed to be involved in disease resistance in tomato leaves. SlNSP-Like is localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and the transient overexpression of SlNSP-Like tomato plant exhibits significant resistance to Pst DC3000. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular dialogue between tomato and Pst, and the identified regulatory genes and pathways serve as promising targets for breeding disease-resistant tomato cultivars and developing management strategies against bacterial spot disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance)

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22 pages, 9229 KB

Open AccessArticle

Brassinosteroid Coordinates with ROS, Auxin and Gibberellin to Promote Mesocotyl Elongation and Deep-Sowing Tolerance in Maize

by Yahui Wang, Ying Li, Yuze Ma, Xiaolin Wu, Wei Wang, Hui Liu and Xiaoming Li

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2025, 47(8), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb47080668 - 18 Aug 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1380

Abstract

Mesocotyl elongation is the key determinant of deep-sowing tolerance in maize. Sowing at an appropriate depth allows the seedling to exploit water and nutrients stored in deeper soil layers, thereby enhancing its ability to withstand drought and other abiotic stresses. Mesocotyl elongation is regulated by the phytohormones brassinosteroid (BR), auxin (IAA), gibberellin (GA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, whether and how BR coordinates IAA, GA, and ROS to control mesocotyl elongation in maize remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that BRs orchestrate ROS, IAA, and GA signaling to remodel cell-wall metabolism in mesocotyl cells, promote cell elongation, and, consequently, strengthen deep-sowing tolerance. BR promoted mesocotyl elongation through multiple routes: (1) decreasing the contents of cell-wall components (hemicellulose, cellulose, and pectin); (2) activating cell-wall-loosening enzymes (cellulase, pectinase, and acidic xylanase); and (3) disturbing ROS homeostasis by elevating superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Combined treatments of BR with either IAA or GA further enhanced mesocotyl elongation in a concentration-dependent manner. In deep-sowing trials (15 cm), application of BR alone or in combination with IAA or GA markedly increased mesocotyl length and emergence rate, thereby improving deep-sowing tolerance. Our work indicated that BR integrated ROS, IAA, and GA signals to restructure the cell wall and derived mesocotyl cell elongation, providing both theoretical insights and practical strategies for breeding maize varieties with enhanced deep-sowing tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Hormones, Development, and Stress Tolerance)

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