Advances in Environmental Stress Biology: From Omics Approaches

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant-Crop Biology and Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 January 2025 | Viewed by 5200

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pratacultural Sciences, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: germplasm resource innovation and molecular breeding; stress physiology in forage and turf grass
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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: molecular biology; exploitation of stress resistant germplasms and genes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growth and development of plants are limited by various abiotic and biotic stresses. The most common abiotic stresses are water stress (deficit and excess water), temperature stress (heat and cold), ionic stress (salinity, nutrient deficiency and heavy metal), etc. Biotic stresses include pathogens, pests, and weeds. Climate change is predicted to increase the occurrence of extreme weather events and thus also abiotic stresses. Solutions to improve plant tolerance and minimize the effects of abiotic stresses on growth and development have been actively sought.

Recent progress in the application of omics technologies can reveal the interactions of plants with the environment. In addition, omics can be applied to elucidate growth, senescence, yield, and the responses to biotic and abiotic stress in plants. The integration of different omics technologies allows the analysis of the relationships between plant genomes and phenotypes under specific environmental conditions. These advanced plant biotechnologies could be used in strategies to obtain plants with high resistance to stress conditions and that are therefore able to cope with climate change.

This Special Issue aims to address the mechanisms of plant growth and productivity derived from the effects of environmental stress in herbal plants. In particular, we aim to highlight that an approach based on different integrated systems can improve plant adaptation and productivity in a sustainable way using omics approaches, such as bioinformatics, genomics, (meta)transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, ionomics, etc.  

We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews related to, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Studies on plant–environment interactions through bioinformatics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, etc;
  • Application of natural small molecules of plant origin with biological activity in plant tolerance improvement;
  • Using cultivation measures, plant growth regulators, fertilizers, and other methods to improve environmental stress resistance and important agronomic traits in plants;
  • Revealing molecular mechanisms and regulatory network under various environmental stresses in plants and improving stress tolerance through genetic engineering;
  • Identifying key regulatory genes of important agronomic traits in herbal plants and improving molecular breeding methods.

Prof. Dr. Longxing Hu
Prof. Dr. Liang Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • bioinformatics
  • genomics
  • gene family
  • herbal plants
  • ionics
  • metabolomics
  • stress biology
  • transcriptomics
  • proteomics

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5710 KiB  
Article
Identification and Functional Characterization of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Expansins in Regulating Arabidopsis Shoot and Root Development
by Longxing Hu, Mengran Zhao, Yu Hu, Qian Xu and Rui Lu
Agronomy 2024, 14(11), 2492; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112492 - 24 Oct 2024
Viewed by 385
Abstract
Expansins are known as cell wall loosening proteins and are involved in cell expansion and varieties of plant developmental progresses. However, little is known about their biological functions in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). In the present study, 30 MsEXP genes were identified [...] Read more.
Expansins are known as cell wall loosening proteins and are involved in cell expansion and varieties of plant developmental progresses. However, little is known about their biological functions in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). In the present study, 30 MsEXP genes were identified in the alfalfa (cultivar “zhongmu-1”) genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these MsEXP proteins were divided into four subfamilies, including twenty-one MsEXPAs, six MsEXPBs, one MsEXL1 and two MsEXLBs. MsEXP genes were unevenly distributed on eight chromosomes. The gene structures of the MsEXP genes and the motif composition of the MsEXP proteins were inconsistent with the phylogenetic relationship of MsEXPs. Cis-acting elements analysis indicated that MsEXP genes may respond to diverse hormonal signals involved in the developmental progress of plants. Furthermore, expression analysis suggested that MsEXP genes exhibited distinct expression patterns among different tissues of alfalfa. Overexpression of MsEXPA3 or MsEXPA4 promoted the growth of leaves, stems and roots of Arabidopsis, thereby increasing the biomass of plants. Subsequent cell morphological analysis uncovered that overexpression of MsEXPA3 or MsEXPA4 promoted the expansion of cells. Taken together, these findings illustrate the functions of MsEXP proteins in regulating the development of plants. Our results may provide a strong basis for further elucidating the roles of these EXP genes in alfalfa development and valuable genetic resources for future crop improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Environmental Stress Biology: From Omics Approaches)
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18 pages, 4008 KiB  
Article
Variations in Protein and Gene Expression Involved in the Pathways of Carbohydrate, Abscisic Acid, and ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter in Soybean Roots under Drought Stress
by Xiaoqin Yang, Xiyan Cui, Jiageng Chang, Jianan Wang, Yujue Wang, Haoye Liu, Yan Wang, Yanbo Chen, Yuhan Yang, Dan Yao, Fengjie Sun and Ying Zhou
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040843 - 18 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1453
Abstract
Plant roots play crucial roles in their response to drought conditions. However, the molecular responses in soybean roots to drought stress remain unclear. We investigated the alterations in the protein expression in the roots of a drought-resistant soybean cultivar ‘Jiyu 47’ during the [...] Read more.
Plant roots play crucial roles in their response to drought conditions. However, the molecular responses in soybean roots to drought stress remain unclear. We investigated the alterations in the protein expression in the roots of a drought-resistant soybean cultivar ‘Jiyu 47’ during the seedling phase based on tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics analysis. The results revealed significant variations in the expression of the proteins involved in several metabolic pathways in soybean roots, including sucrose metabolism, abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism, and the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter pathway. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed a coordinated expression pattern of the proteins involved in the various cellular pathways responding to drought stress in soybean. The increased production of sucrose and betaine enhanced the inhibition of the damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the tolerance of drought stress. The results of the physiological variations showed that sucrose metabolism, ABA metabolic mechanism, and the ABC transporter pathways played an important role in the antioxidant defense system in response to drought stress in soybean roots. The results of quantitative real-time PCR revealed the up-regulated expression of three genes (i.e., GmPYR1, GmHO-1, and GmSOD) involved in ABA biosynthesis and the signaling pathway. This study provides novel insights into the comprehension of the molecular pathways regulating the soybean root response to drought stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Environmental Stress Biology: From Omics Approaches)
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14 pages, 4464 KiB  
Article
Metabolomic Analysis of Arabidopsis ost1-4 Mutant Revealed the Cold Response Regulation Mechanisms by OPEN STOMATA 1 (OST1) at Metabolic Level
by Fangming Wu, Zhimin Du, Zhengrong Hu, Lu Gan, Abul Bashar Mohammad Khaldun, Erick Amombo, Xuebing Huang and Jibiao Fan
Agronomy 2023, 13(10), 2567; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13102567 - 6 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1267
Abstract
Cold stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that limits the growth and development of plants. Improving the cold tolerance of plants is essential to enhance crop productivity in the changing environment. OPEN STOMATA 1 (OST1), also known as sucrose non-fermenting 1 [...] Read more.
Cold stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that limits the growth and development of plants. Improving the cold tolerance of plants is essential to enhance crop productivity in the changing environment. OPEN STOMATA 1 (OST1), also known as sucrose non-fermenting 1 related protein kinases 2.6/2E (SnRK2.6/SnRK2E), has been reported to involved in cold stress response in plants. This interesting protein is confined to expressed in guard cells and vascular system. However, the detailed mechanism of how OST1 regulates cold stress, especially at the metabolomic level is largely unknown. In this study, metabolomic profiling of ost1 mutant and WT Arabidopsis plants under cold stress was investigated. The results showed that ost1-4 mutants displayed cold sensitive phenotypes compared with the WT plant, as evidenced by higher MDA content and electrolyte leakage and lower photosynthetic characteristics. Next, the metabolic changes between ost1-4 and WT plants in response to cold stress was analyzed by using the GC-TOF-MS system. The results showed that numbers of metabolites were identified to be related to OST1 regulated cold stress response. A large portion of the metabolites were carbohydrates and organic acids. The KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, cyanoamino acid metabolism and citrate cycle (TCA cycle) were presumptive pathways that most related to OST1 regulated cold stress response. Gene expression such as AtGDHs, AtPPC1 and AtAK1 was also in line with the metabolic changes in the presumed pathways. Overall, this study provides fundamental knowledge for understanding the underlying metabolic mechanisms of OST1 mediated cold stress response in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Environmental Stress Biology: From Omics Approaches)
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16 pages, 10110 KiB  
Article
Improving Endogenous Nitric Oxide Enhances Cadmium Tolerance in Rice through Modulation of Cadmium Accumulation and Antioxidant Capacity
by Wei Cai, Wenshu Wang, Hui Deng, Bin Chen, Guo Zhang, Ping Wang, Tingting Yuan and Yongsheng Zhu
Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 1978; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13081978 - 26 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1410
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in plant stress responses. However, the mechanisms underlying NO-induced stress resistance to cadmium (Cd) stress in rice remain elusive. In this study, rat neuron NO synthase (nNOS)-overexpressing rice plants with higher endogenous NO level showed higher [...] Read more.
Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in plant stress responses. However, the mechanisms underlying NO-induced stress resistance to cadmium (Cd) stress in rice remain elusive. In this study, rat neuron NO synthase (nNOS)-overexpressing rice plants with higher endogenous NO level showed higher cadmium stress tolerance than the wild-type plants. The results showed that nNOS-overexpressing rice plants accumulated less cadmium in the roots and shoots by downregulating the expression of Cd uptake and transport related genes including OsCAL1, OsIRT2, OsNramp5, and OsCd1. Moreover, nNOS-overexpressing rice plants accumulated less hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), accompanying with higher expression of antioxidant enzyme genes (OsCATA, OsCATB, and OsPOX1) and corresponding higher enzyme activities under cadmium stress. Furthermore, the transcription of melatonin biosynthetic genes, including OsASMT1, OsTDC1, OsTDC3, and OsSNAT2, was also upregulated in nNOS-overexpressing plants, resulting in increased content of melatonin under cadmium treatment compared with the wild-type controls. Taken together, this study indicates that nNOS overexpression improves Cd tolerance of rice seedlings through decreasing cadmium accumulation and enhancing the antioxidant capacity and melatonin biosynthesis of the plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Environmental Stress Biology: From Omics Approaches)
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