Abiotic Stress Responses in Horticultural Crops

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 2859

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying plant stress tolerance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying plant stress tolerance

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
Interests: genetics; genomics improvement; bioinformatics; bud mutant

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural sustainability is threatened by abiotic stress, contributing to crop failure worldwide and reduced crop productivity. Major abiotic stresses include extreme temperature, drought, salinity, and heavy metal contamination. To overcome abiotic stresses, plants have developed a repertoire of mechanisms to counteract these stresses. Therefore, more research is needed to explore the different mechanisms plant species exploit in response to abiotic stresses on the cellular, morphological, physiological, and molecular levels. Horticultural crops, such as fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, aromatic plants, and medicinal plants, offer essential nutrients, biologically active compounds, and aesthetic appeal. The Topic Editors encourage you to contribute to this Special Topic with research articles or reviews deciphering the physiological, biochemical, cellular, or molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stresses in horticultural crops. This Special Issue will cover, but is not be limited to, the following topics:

  • Providing fundamental insights into the response of horticultural crops to abiotic stress;
  • Elucidating the underlying mechanisms of resistance/tolerance of horticultural crops to abiotic stresses;
  • Using biotechnological and other strategies to improve the resistance/tolerance of horticultural crops to abiotic stresses.

Dr. Xiaoyong Xu
Dr. Lijuan Jiang
Dr. Lun Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • cold stress
  • low-temperature stress
  • high-temperature stress
  • drought stress
  • salt stress
  • heavy-metal stress
  • stress signaling
  • transcriptomics
  • metabolomics
  • proteomics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 7196 KiB  
Article
Identification of Ascorbate Oxidase Genes and Their Response to Cold Stress in Citrus sinensis
by Xiaoyong Xu, Xingchen Miao, Naiyi Deng, Mengge Liang, Lun Wang, Lijuan Jiang and Shaohua Zeng
Agriculture 2024, 14(9), 1643; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14091643 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 415
Abstract
Ascorbate oxidase (AAO) plays an important role in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis, thereby influencing plant growth, development, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there has been no systematic characterization of AAO genes in Citrus, especially their roles in response [...] Read more.
Ascorbate oxidase (AAO) plays an important role in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis, thereby influencing plant growth, development, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there has been no systematic characterization of AAO genes in Citrus, especially their roles in response to cold stress. In the present study, nine AAO genes were identified in C. sinensis through bioinformatics analyses, exhibiting uneven distribution across four chromosomes. All CsAAOs possessed three conserved domains and were predicted to localize in the apoplast. The CsAAO gene family displayed varied intron–exon patterns. Phylogenetic analysis categorized the CsAAO family into three main clades (Clade A–C), suggesting distinct biological functions. Collinearity and Ka/Ks analysis revealed three duplicate gene pairs within the CsAAO gene family, with all duplicated CsAAOs primarily evolving under purifying selection. Analysis of cis-acting elements showed the presence of multiple hormone response elements and stress response elements within the CsAAO promoters. The computational analysis of microRNA target transcripts suggested that CsAAO9 may be a target of csi-miR156. RNA-Seq data demonstrated high expression levels of CsAAOs in roots and young fruits, while qRT-PCR analysis showed significant upregulation of six CsAAOs in response to cold treatment. Furthermore, the activities of CsAAOs exhibited a pattern of initial decrease followed by an increase after exposure to low temperatures. These findings offer important insights into the role of CsAAOs in response to cold stress. Furthermore, AAOs could be target genes for breeding crops with better cold resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses in Horticultural Crops)
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17 pages, 1679 KiB  
Article
Environmental Factors Related to Climate Change Alter the Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Lavandula viridis L’Hér Essential Oil
by Inês Mansinhos, Sandra Gonçalves, Raquel Rodríguez-Solana, José Manuel Moreno-Rojas and Anabela Romano
Agriculture 2024, 14(7), 1067; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14071067 - 2 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 718
Abstract
Climate change is affecting all regions of the world, and the Mediterranean region is one of the most affected. Plants accumulate secondary metabolites as an adaptive response to stress circumstances. The present study investigated the effect of different abiotic factor conditions (drought, moderate [...] Read more.
Climate change is affecting all regions of the world, and the Mediterranean region is one of the most affected. Plants accumulate secondary metabolites as an adaptive response to stress circumstances. The present study investigated the effect of different abiotic factor conditions (drought, moderate heat, severe heat, salinity, and UV-B radiation) on the essential oil (EO) yield, composition (volatile profile), and biological activity (enzyme inhibition and antioxidant activity) of Lavandula viridis L’Hér. In general, the environmental conditions increased the extraction yield of EO. Eighty-two compounds were identified in the EO and environmental factors induced some quantitative changes in EO composition. Severe heat and salinity conditions increased the concentration of the two most abundant compounds, 1,8-cineole and camphor. Severe heat also increased the potential of EO to inhibit the enzymes butyrylcholinesterase and tyrosinase. Drought, salinity, and UV-B radiation promoted the ability of EO to inhibit acetylcholinesterase. In addition, heat and drought enhanced the antioxidant activity of EO. These results are relevant for exploring the potential of this EO for industrial applications, although future studies combining the factors studied are important to understand the influence of synergistic effects on the composition and bioactivity of the plant products obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses in Horticultural Crops)
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23 pages, 6491 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Broad-Complex, Tramtrack, and Bric-à-Brac Domain-Containing Protein Gene Family in Potato
by Aiana, Anita Katwal, Hanny Chauhan, Santosh Kumar Upadhyay and Kashmir Singh
Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050771 - 16 May 2024
Viewed by 1286
Abstract
The BTB (broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-à-brac) domain, also known as the POZ (POX virus and zinc finger) domain, is a conserved protein–protein interaction domain present in various organisms. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide search to identify and characterize BTB genes in [...] Read more.
The BTB (broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-à-brac) domain, also known as the POZ (POX virus and zinc finger) domain, is a conserved protein–protein interaction domain present in various organisms. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide search to identify and characterize BTB genes in Solanum tuberosum. A total of 57 StBTBs were identified and analyzed for their physicochemical properties, chromosomal distribution, gene structure, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, tissue-specific expression patterns, and responses to hormonal and stress treatments. We found that StBTBs were unevenly distributed across potato chromosomes and exhibited diverse gene structures and conserved motifs. Tissue-specific expression analysis revealed differential expression patterns across various potato tissues, implying their roles in plant growth and development. Furthermore, differential expression analysis under hormonal and stress treatments indicated the involvement of StBTBs in abiotic and biotic stress responses and hormone signaling pathways. Protein–protein interaction analysis identified potential interactions with ribosomal proteins, suggesting roles in translational regulation. Additionally, microRNA target site analysis revealed regulatory relationships between StBTBs and miRNAs. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the StBTB gene family in potato, laying the groundwork for further functional characterization and manipulation of these genes to improve stress tolerance and agricultural productivity in potato and related plant species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress Responses in Horticultural Crops)
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