Nutrient Transport and Aquaporins in Physiological Processes Mitigating Abiotic Stress of Crops

Dear Colleagues,

In plants, mineral nutrition and water uptake play a fundamental role in their growth, development, and overall health. Water and essential nutrients, including macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium, as well as micronutrients like iron or zinc, are crucial for various physiological processes within plants. These nutrients are involved in photosynthesis, cell division, enzyme activation, and the synthesis of proteins and other vital compounds. A balanced and adequate supply of nutrients is necessary for plants to achieve optimal growth, withstand environmental stressors, and produce high-quality yields.

In stressful conditions, such as drought, salinity, or extreme temperatures, nutrient transporters and aquaporins become even more critical. During abiotic stresses, nutrient transporters in plants play several crucial roles in maintaining physiological balance and mitigating the effects of stress. Firstly, they facilitate the uptake of essential nutrients from the soil, ensuring a sufficient supply for metabolic processes even under stressful conditions. Additionally, nutrient transporters help redistribute nutrients within the plant, prioritizing critical functions and organs to optimize resource allocation. They also participate in the detoxification of ions and compounds that accumulate in plant tissues during stress, thereby reducing cellular damage.

On the other hand, aquaporins help plants cope with water scarcity by regulating water fluxes to maintain cellular hydration levels. Furthermore, aquaporins can also transport other small molecules like hydrogen peroxide and carbon dioxide, contributing to stress signaling and antioxidant defence mechanisms, coordinating adaptive responses to stress by regulating gene expression and metabolic pathways. Overall, nutrient transporters and aquaporins are integral components of plant resilience mechanisms, enabling them to survive and thrive in challenging environmental conditions.

Understanding the role of aquaporins and different nutrient transporters in stress tolerance is crucial for developing crop varieties with enhanced resilience to environmental challenges, highlighting the importance of this research area. By manipulating gene expression or function through breeding or biotechnological approaches, researchers aim to improve crop yields, improve sustainable agriculture and ensure food security in the face of changing climatic conditions and growing global demands for agricultural products.

Dr. Lopez-Zaplana Alvaro
Guest Editor

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• aquaporins
• stress tolerance
• crop sciences
• water fluxes
• nutrient transport
• biological membranes
• water status
• drought
• salinity