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Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants
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Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 56741

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: abiotic stress tolerance; seed ecology; phytohormone signaling; seed heteromorphism; halophytles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mohsin Tanveer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
2. Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Interests: eco-physiology and climate change; experimental methodology development; nutrient metabolism and translocation in plants; plant productivity and sustainable agriculture; plant molecular physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant health depends on the strict relationship between biotic and abiotic factors—in other words, between plant physiology and environmental drivers. With climate change, such a relationship is hampered, with drastic consequences on primary production and biogeochemical cycles. Manipulative and monitoring studies on plant physiology responses to different environmental drivers, such as temperature, water availability, nutrient content in the soil, CO2 concentration, salinity, and pollutants, have informed the future possible adaptation of plants to climate change and their mitigation role. Still, a lot has to be understood, in particular in relation to long-term responses, combined environmental drivers, acclimation, and/or adaptation in hot spot systems and vegetation feedback on carbon emissions via sequestration and storage in plant tissues and soil. Given that, oxidative stress in plants alters morphological, physiological, and biochemical processes—primarily photosynthesis, a key physiological process in plants. Photooxidative damage is the main source of ROS production, causing protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage at the cellular level, leading to cellular and finally plant death. As ROS have a dual function, a balance between signaling and oxidative roles is crucial to preserve plant metabolic homeostasis. In oxidative stress conditions, the whole antioxidative machinery is activated to eliminate overall ROS production, so an understanding of defense mechanisms is crucial to find ways to enhance them. This Special Issue of Biology will highlight the relationship between the different ecosystem abiotic factors and plant metabolism, also in relation to vegetation resilience capacity. We welcome original research papers from the leaf to the ecosystem scale, based on experimental, theoretical, and modeling approaches, as well as review articles.

Dr. Lei Wang
Dr. Mohsin Tanveer
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • abiotic stress
  • adaptive traits
  • climate change
  • nutrient metabolism
  • land-use change
  • redox regulation
  • photosynthesis
  • phenotypic plasticity
  • pathogen
  • plant ecophysiology

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Published Papers (17 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 220 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial to the Special Issue “Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants”
by Lei Wang and Mohsin Tanveer
Biology 2023, 12(3), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12030485 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
Farmers are currently facing the challenge of producing sufficient crop yield [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review, Other

16 pages, 2526 KiB  
Article
Identification of Drought-Tolerance Genes in the Germination Stage of Soybean
by Xingzhen Zhao, Zhangxiong Liu, Huihui Li, Yanjun Zhang, Lili Yu, Xusheng Qi, Huawei Gao, Yinghui Li and Lijuan Qiu
Biology 2022, 11(12), 1812; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11121812 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2488
Abstract
Drought stress influences the vigor of plant seeds and inhibits seed germination, making it one of the primary environmental factors adversely affecting food security. The seed germination stage is critical to ensuring the growth and productivity of soybeans in soils prone to drought [...] Read more.
Drought stress influences the vigor of plant seeds and inhibits seed germination, making it one of the primary environmental factors adversely affecting food security. The seed germination stage is critical to ensuring the growth and productivity of soybeans in soils prone to drought conditions. We here examined the genetic diversity and drought-tolerance phenotypes of 410 accessions of a germplasm diversity panel for soybean and conducted quantitative genetics analyses to identify loci associated with drought tolerance of seed germination. We uncovered significant differences among the diverse genotypes for four growth indices and five drought-tolerance indices, which revealed abundant variation among genotypes, upon drought stress, and for genotype × treatment effects. We also used 158,327 SNP markers and performed GWAS for the drought-related traits. Our data met the conditions (PCA + K) for using a mixed linear model in TASSEL, and we thus identified 26 SNPs associated with drought tolerance indices for germination stage distributed across 10 chromosomes. Nine SNP sites, including, for example, Gm20_34956219 and Gm20_36902659, were associated with two or more phenotypic indices, and there were nine SNP markers located in or adjacent to (within 500 kb) previously reported drought tolerance QTLs. These SNPs led to our identification of 41 candidate genes related to drought tolerance in the germination stage. The results of our study contribute to a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in soybeans at the germination stage, thereby providing a molecular basis for identifying useful soybean germplasm for breeding new drought-tolerant varieties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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15 pages, 3236 KiB  
Article
Effects of Short-Term High Temperature on Gas Exchange in Kiwifruits (Actinidia spp.)
by Dawei Li, Xiaodong Xie, Xiaoying Liu, Chang Cheng, Wen Guo, Caihong Zhong and Arif Atak
Biology 2022, 11(11), 1686; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11111686 - 21 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2355
Abstract
Climate changes occurring today require detailed research of the effects of increasing temperatures on photosynthesis in different species and cultivars. Temperature variability is a crucial determinant of the yield and quality of plants, particularly when high-temperature episodes coincide with their growth and fruit [...] Read more.
Climate changes occurring today require detailed research of the effects of increasing temperatures on photosynthesis in different species and cultivars. Temperature variability is a crucial determinant of the yield and quality of plants, particularly when high-temperature episodes coincide with their growth and fruit development. The effect of high temperature (HT) on higher plants primarily concerns photosynthetic functions, but the sensitivity of photosynthesis to high temperature is not well-understood in kiwifruits. In this study, we designed a new environmental monitoring system to evaluate the effects of environmental factors on the photosynthetic physiology of different kiwifruit species and cultivars. A significant positive correlation was determined between the main photosynthetic indices of kiwifruits, such as transpiration rate and net photosynthetic rate. The net photosynthetic rate of commercial kiwifruit cultivars was strongly inhibited when the temperature exceeded 44.5 °C, and the leaves of kiwifruits were irreversibly damaged when the temperature increased to 52 °C. Kiwifruit cultivars with different ploidy levels (diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid) were found to be sensitive to high temperature, whereas tetraploids had higher HT resistance and hexaploids had the highest net photosynthetic rate. Further research showed that the HT tolerance of kiwifruits existed not only between species but also among cultivars. A. eriantha had the highest net photosynthetic rate at more than 44.7 °C, but those of A. deliciosa and A. arguta declined sharply as the temperature exceeded 43.5 °C. As a result, it was determined that high temperatures have important effects on the photosynthetic activities of kiwifruit plants with different ploidy levels, and that these effects can significantly change their development according to how they differ among different species/cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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21 pages, 12407 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of the Almond AP2/ERF Superfamily and Its Functional Prediction during Dormancy in Response to Freezing Stress
by Zhenfan Yu, Dongdong Zhang, Shaobo Hu, Xingyue Liu, Bin Zeng, Wenwen Gao, Yawen He, Huanxue Qin and Xintong Ma
Biology 2022, 11(10), 1520; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11101520 - 17 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2520
Abstract
The AP2/ERF transcription factor family is one of the largest transcription factor families in plants and plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development and the response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there is no report on the AP2/ERF gene [...] Read more.
The AP2/ERF transcription factor family is one of the largest transcription factor families in plants and plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development and the response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there is no report on the AP2/ERF gene family in almond (Prunus dulcis). In this study, a total of 136 PdAP2/ERF genes were identified from the almond genome, and their protein physicochemical properties were analyzed. The PdAP2/ERF members were divided into five subgroups: AP2, RAV, ERF, DREB, and Soloist. The PdAP2/ERF members in each subgroup had conserved motif types and exon/intron numbers. PdAP2/ERFS members are distributed on eight chromosomes, with 22 pairs of segmental duplications and 28 pairs of tandem duplications. We further explored the colinear relationship between almond and Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Malus domestica, and Prunus persicaAP2/ERF genes and their evolution. The results of cis-acting elements showed that PdAP2/ERF members are widely involved in various processes, such as growth and development, hormone regulation, and stress response. The results based on transcriptome expression patterns showed that PdAP2/ERF genes had significant tissue-specific expression characteristics and were involved in the response of annual dormant branches of almond to low-temperature freezing stress. In addition, the fluorescence quantitative relative expression results of 13 representative PdAP2/ERF genes in four tissues of ‘Wanfeng’ almond and under six low-temperature freezing treatments of annual dormant branches were consistent with the transcriptome results. It is worth noting that the fluorescence quantitative expression level showed that the PdERF24 gene was extremely significant at −30 °C, suggesting that this gene may play an important role in the response of almond dormancy to ultralow temperature freezing stress. Finally, we identified 7424 and 6971 target genes based on AP2 and ERF/DREB DNA-binding sites, respectively. The GO and KEGG enrichment results showed that these target genes play important roles in protein function and multiple pathways. In summary, we conducted bioinformatics and expression pattern studies on PdAP2/ERF genes, including 13 PdAP2/ERF genes, and performed fluorescence quantitative analysis of annual dormant shoots under different low-temperature freezing stress treatments to understand the tolerance of almond dormancy to freezing stress and suggest future improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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21 pages, 2349 KiB  
Article
Application of 2,4-Epibrassinolide Improves Drought Tolerance in Tobacco through Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms
by Rayyan Khan, Xinghua Ma, Quaid Hussain, Muhammad Asim, Anas Iqbal, Xiaochun Ren, Shahen Shah, Keling Chen and Yi Shi
Biology 2022, 11(8), 1192; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11081192 - 8 Aug 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2589
Abstract
Drought stress is a major abiotic stress that hinders plant growth and development. Brassinosteroids (BR), including 2,4-epibrassinolide (EBR), play important roles in plant growth, development, and responses to abiotic stresses, including drought stress. This work investigates exogenous EBR application roles in improving drought [...] Read more.
Drought stress is a major abiotic stress that hinders plant growth and development. Brassinosteroids (BR), including 2,4-epibrassinolide (EBR), play important roles in plant growth, development, and responses to abiotic stresses, including drought stress. This work investigates exogenous EBR application roles in improving drought tolerance in tobacco. Tobacco plants were divided into three groups: WW (well-watered), DS (drought stress), and DSB (drought stress + 0.05 mM EBR). The results revealed that DS decreased the leaf thickness (LT), whereas EBR application upregulated genes related to cell expansion, which were induced by the BR (DWF4, HERK2, and BZR1) and IAA (ARF9, ARF6, PIN1, SAUR19, and ABP1) signaling pathway. This promoted LT by 28%, increasing plant adaptation. Furthermore, EBR application improved SOD (22%), POD (11%), and CAT (5%) enzyme activities and their related genes expression (FeSOD, POD, and CAT) along with a higher accumulation of osmoregulatory substances such as proline (29%) and soluble sugars (14%) under DS and conferred drought tolerance. Finally, EBR application augmented the auxin (IAA) (21%) and brassinolide (131%) contents and upregulated genes related to drought tolerance induced by the BR (BRL3 and BZR2) and IAA (YUCCA6, SAUR32, and IAA26) signaling pathways. These results suggest that it could play an important role in improving mechanisms of drought tolerance in tobacco. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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25 pages, 7388 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Role of PIN Auxin Carrier Genes under Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Olea europaea L.
by Hélia Cardoso, Catarina Campos, Dariusz Grzebelus, Conceição Egas and Augusto Peixe
Biology 2022, 11(7), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11071040 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2291
Abstract
The PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins represent the most important polar auxin transporters in plants. Here, we characterized the PIN gene family in two olive genotypes, the Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris and the var. europaea (cv. ‘Farga’). Twelve and 17 PIN genes were [...] Read more.
The PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins represent the most important polar auxin transporters in plants. Here, we characterized the PIN gene family in two olive genotypes, the Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris and the var. europaea (cv. ‘Farga’). Twelve and 17 PIN genes were identified for vars. sylvestris and europaea, respectively, being distributed across 6 subfamilies. Genes encoding canonical OePINs consist of six exons, while genes encoding non-canonical OePINs are composed of five exons, with implications at protein specificities and functionality. A copia-LTR retrotransposon located in intron 4 of OePIN2b of var. europaea and the exaptation of partial sequences of that element as exons of the OePIN2b of var. sylvestris reveals such kind of event as a driving force in the olive PIN evolution. RNA-seq data showed that members from the subfamilies 1, 2, and 3 responded to abiotic and biotic stress factors. Co-expression of OePINs with genes involved in stress signaling and oxidative stress homeostasis were identified. This study highlights the importance of PIN genes on stress responses, contributing for a holistic understanding of the role of auxins in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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22 pages, 4013 KiB  
Article
OsbHLHq11, the Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor, Involved in Regulation of Chlorophyll Content in Rice
by Yoon-Hee Jang, Jae-Ryoung Park, Eun-Gyeong Kim and Kyung-Min Kim
Biology 2022, 11(7), 1000; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11071000 - 1 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2195
Abstract
Photosynthesis is an important factor in determining the yield of rice. In particular, the size and efficiency of the photosynthetic system after the heading has a great impact on the yield. Research related to high-efficiency photosynthesis is essential to meet the growing demands [...] Read more.
Photosynthesis is an important factor in determining the yield of rice. In particular, the size and efficiency of the photosynthetic system after the heading has a great impact on the yield. Research related to high-efficiency photosynthesis is essential to meet the growing demands of crops for the growing population. Chlorophyll is a key molecule in photosynthesis, a pigment that acts as an antenna to absorb light energy. Improvement of chlorophyll content characteristics has been emphasized in rice breeding for several decades. It is expected that an increase in chlorophyll content may increase photosynthetic efficiency, and understanding the genetic basis involved is important. In this study, we measured leaf color (CIELAB), chlorophyll content (SPAD), and chlorophyll fluorescence, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was performed using 120 Cheongcheong/Nagdong double haploid (CNDH) line after the heading date. A major QTL related to chlorophyll content was detected in the RM26981-RM287 region of chromosome 11. OsbHLHq11 was finally selected through screening of genes related to chlorophyll content in the RM26981-RM287 region. The relative expression level of the gene of OsbHLHq11 was highly expressed in cultivars with low chlorophyll content, and is expected to have a similar function to BHLH62 of the Gramineae genus. OsbHLHq11 is expected to increase photosynthetic efficiency by being involved in the chlorophyll content, and is expected to be utilized as a new genetic resource for breeding high-yield rice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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13 pages, 1191 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Soil and Garlic Influenced by Waste-Derived Organic Amendments
by Pervaiz Akhter, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain, Kafeel Ahmad, Muhammad Umer Farooq Awan, Asma Ashfaq, Usman Khalid Chaudhry, Muhammad Fahad Ullah, Zainul Abideen, Khalid S. Almaary, Mona S. Alwahibi and Mohamed Soliman Elshikh
Biology 2022, 11(6), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11060850 - 1 Jun 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3198
Abstract
In South Asia, the high costs of synthetic fertilizers have imposed research on alternative nutrient inputs. We aimed to identify potential trace elements (PTE) present in some organic manure that might be a source of environmental pollutions and risk to public health following [...] Read more.
In South Asia, the high costs of synthetic fertilizers have imposed research on alternative nutrient inputs. We aimed to identify potential trace elements (PTE) present in some organic manure that might be a source of environmental pollutions and risk to public health following consumption. The study aims to evaluate how different organic waste (poultry waste, PW; press mud, PM; and farmyard manure, FYM) influences the heavy metal migration in soil, the accumulation in garlic, and their potential health risks. Organic waste caused a higher accumulation of certain metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, and Co), whereas Mn, Cd, Cr, and Pb were in lower concentrations in soil. Amendments of soil with PM revealed a higher accumulation of Cd, Cr, Fe, and Pb, whereas PW resulted in Cu and Zn accumulation in garlic. Treatment of soil with FYM exhibited higher metal concentration of Co and Mn. An environmental hazard indices study revealed that pollution load index (PLI) was highest for Cu following treatment with PM. The health risk index (HRI) was greater for Cd following amendment with PM. Maximum daily intake of metals (DIM) was observed for Zn after treatment with PW. The Pb exhibited maximum bioconcentration factor (BCF) in PM-amended plants. Based on these findings, we concluded that garlic grown on contaminated soil with organic waste may pose serious health hazards following consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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17 pages, 6153 KiB  
Article
Biological Control Activity of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria Burkholderia contaminans AY001 against Tomato Fusarium Wilt and Bacterial Speck Diseases
by A Yeong Heo, Young Mo Koo and Hyong Woo Choi
Biology 2022, 11(4), 619; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11040619 - 18 Apr 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5835
Abstract
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is not only enhancing plant growth, but also inducing resistance against a broad range of pathogens, thus providing effective strategies to substitute chemical products. In this study, Burkholderia contaminans AY001 (AY001) is isolated based on its broad-spectrum antifungal [...] Read more.
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is not only enhancing plant growth, but also inducing resistance against a broad range of pathogens, thus providing effective strategies to substitute chemical products. In this study, Burkholderia contaminans AY001 (AY001) is isolated based on its broad-spectrum antifungal activity. AY001 not only inhibited fungal pathogen growth in dual culture and culture filtrate assays, but also showed various PGPR traits, such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, extracellular protease production, zinc solubilization and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis activities. Indeed, AY001 treatment significantly enhanced growth of tomato plants and enhanced resistance against two distinct pathogens, F. oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Real-time qPCR analyses revealed that AY001 treatment induced jasmonic acid/ethylene-dependent defense-related gene expression, suggesting its Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR)-eliciting activity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of culture filtrate of AY001 revealed production of antimicrobial compounds, including di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and pyrrolo [1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione, hexahydro-3-(phenylmethyl). Taken together, our newly isolated AY001 showed promising PGPR and ISR activities in tomato plants, suggesting its potential use as a biofertilizer and biocontrol agent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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18 pages, 6994 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of Invertase Gene Family, and Expression Profiling under Abiotic Stress Conditions in Potato
by Asad Abbas, Adnan Noor Shah, Anis Ali Shah, Muhammad Azhar Nadeem, Ahmad Alsaleh, Talha Javed, Saqer S. Alotaibi and Nader R. Abdelsalam
Biology 2022, 11(4), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11040539 - 31 Mar 2022
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3954
Abstract
The potato is one of the most important and valuable crops in terms of consumption worldwide. However, abiotic stressors are the critical delimiters for the growth and productivity of potato. Invertase genes play key roles in carbon metabolism, plant development, and responses to [...] Read more.
The potato is one of the most important and valuable crops in terms of consumption worldwide. However, abiotic stressors are the critical delimiters for the growth and productivity of potato. Invertase genes play key roles in carbon metabolism, plant development, and responses to stress stimuli. Therefore, a comprehensive genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of invertase genes was performed in the potato. The current study identified 19 invertase genes, randomly distributed throughout the potato genome. To further elucidate their evolutionary, functional and structural relationship within family and with other plant species, we performed sequence and phylogenetic analysis, which segregated invertase genes into two main groups based on their sequence homology. A total of 11 genes are included in acidic invertases and 8 genes are in neutral or alkaline invertases, elucidating their functional divergence. Tissue specific expression analyses (RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR) of different plant tissues showed differential expression pattern. Invertase genes have higher expression in flower, leaf, root and shoot tissues, while under abiotic stress conditions, the expression of the invertase gene is significantly upregulated. Results of this study revealed that vacuolar and cell wall destined invertases are mainly the functional member genes of the invertase family. This study provides comprehensive data and knowledge about StINV genes in Solanum tuberosum for future genetic and epigenetic studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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19 pages, 5444 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN Gene Family Reveals the Canonical JA-Signaling Pathway in Pineapple
by Li Ye, Ling Cao, Xuemei Zhao, Xinya Guo, Kangzhuo Ye, Sibo Jiao, Yu Wang, Xiaoxue He, Chunxing Dong, Bin Hu, Fang Deng, Heming Zhao, Ping Zheng, Mohammad Aslam, Yuan Qin and Yan Cheng
Biology 2022, 11(3), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11030445 - 15 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3342 | Correction
Abstract
JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are negative regulators of the jasmonate (JA)-signaling pathway and play pivotal roles in plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Genome-wide identification of JAZ genes has been performed in many plant species. However, systematic information about pineapple (Ananas [...] Read more.
JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins are negative regulators of the jasmonate (JA)-signaling pathway and play pivotal roles in plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Genome-wide identification of JAZ genes has been performed in many plant species. However, systematic information about pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr.) JAZ genes (AcJAZs) is still not available. In this study, we identified 14 AcJAZ genes and classified them into five groups along with the Arabidopsis and rice orthologs. The AcJAZ genes have 3–10 exons, and the putative AcJAZ proteins have between two and eight conserved regions, including the TIFY motif and Jas domain. The cis-acting element analysis revealed that the putative promoter regions of AcJAZs contain between three and eight abiotic stress-responsive cis-acting elements. The gene-expression analysis suggested that AcJAZs were expressed differentially during plant development and subjected to regulation by the cold, heat, salt, and osmotic stresses as well as by phytohormones. Moreover, the BiFC analysis of protein interactions among the central JA-signaling regulators showed that AcJAZ4, AcMYC2, AcNINJA, and AcJAM1 could interact with AcJAZ5 and AcJAZ13 in vivo, indicating a canonical JA-signaling pathway in pineapple. These results increase our understanding of the functions of AcJAZs and the responses of the core players in the JA-signaling pathway to abiotic stresses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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13 pages, 1352 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Saline–Alkaline Tolerance of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Mutants Induced by Heavy-Ion Beam Mutagenesis
by Xin Zhang, Fu Yang, Hongyuan Ma and Jingpeng Li
Biology 2022, 11(1), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11010126 - 13 Jan 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2675
Abstract
Soil salinity is a widespread and important abiotic factor impeding rice production by adversely affecting seed germination, seedling growth, and plant productivity. In this study, the rice cultivar TH899 was treated with 200 Gy of heavy-ion beam irradiation, and 89 mutant lines with [...] Read more.
Soil salinity is a widespread and important abiotic factor impeding rice production by adversely affecting seed germination, seedling growth, and plant productivity. In this study, the rice cultivar TH899 was treated with 200 Gy of heavy-ion beam irradiation, and 89 mutant lines with stable phenotypes were selected using the pedigree method based on continuous assessment over six years. The seed germination performance of these mutants was tested under different saline–alkaline concentrations. Five highly tolerant lines were further evaluated in a series of experiments at the seedling stage and in the field. During the seedling stage, the reduction of seedling length, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight were dramatically lower in these five mutants than those in TH899 under saline–alkali stress. The K+/Na+ ratio was higher in these five mutants than in TH899. In the field experiment, the grain yield of mutant lines was higher than that of TH899. In addition, the grain yield of mutant line M89 was higher than that of the local cultivar in actual production. These mutant lines are expected to increase grain yield in soda saline–alkaline regions in northeast China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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16 pages, 2088 KiB  
Article
Melatonin and KNO3 Application Improves Growth, Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics of Maize Seedlings under Waterlogging Stress Conditions
by Shakeel Ahmad, Guo-Yun Wang, Ihsan Muhammad, Muhammad Zeeshan and Xun-Bo Zhou
Biology 2022, 11(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11010099 - 9 Jan 2022
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3740
Abstract
Waterlogging is one of the serious abiotic stresses that inhibits crop growth and reduces productivity. Therefore, investigating efficient waterlogging mitigation measures has both theoretical and practical significance. The objectives of the present research were to examine the efficiency of melatonin and KNO3 [...] Read more.
Waterlogging is one of the serious abiotic stresses that inhibits crop growth and reduces productivity. Therefore, investigating efficient waterlogging mitigation measures has both theoretical and practical significance. The objectives of the present research were to examine the efficiency of melatonin and KNO3 seed soaking and foliar application on alleviating the waterlogging inhibited growth performance of maize seedlings. In this study, 100 µM melatonin and different levels (0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g) of potassium nitrate (KNO3) were used in seed soaking and foliar applications. For foliar application, treatments were applied at the 7th leaf stage one week after the imposition of waterlogging stress. The results showed that melatonin with KNO3 significantly improved the plant growth and biochemical parameters of maize seedlings under waterlogging stress conditions. However, the application of melatonin with KNO3 treatments increased plant growth characteristics, chlorophyll content, and the net photosynthetic rate at a variable rate under waterlogging stress. Furthermore, melatonin with KNO3 treatments significantly reduced the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and it decreased the activity of pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase, while increasing enzymatic activities and soluble protein content of maize seedlings under waterlogging stress conditions. Overall, our results indicated that seed soaking with 100 µM melatonin and 0.50 g KNO3 was the most effective treatment that significantly improved the plant growth characteristics, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and enzymatic activity of maize seedling under waterlogging conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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Review

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17 pages, 1550 KiB  
Review
Elevated CO2 and Water Stress in Combination in Plants: Brothers in Arms or Partners in Crime?
by Arun Kumar Shanker, Deepika Gunnapaneni, Divya Bhanu, Maddi Vanaja, Narayana Jyothi Lakshmi, Sushil Kumar Yadav, Mathyam Prabhakar and Vinod Kumar Singh
Biology 2022, 11(9), 1330; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11091330 - 8 Sep 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4125
Abstract
The changing dynamics in the climate are the primary and important determinants of agriculture productivity. The effects of this changing climate on overall productivity in agriculture can be understood when we study the effects of individual components contributing to the changing climate on [...] Read more.
The changing dynamics in the climate are the primary and important determinants of agriculture productivity. The effects of this changing climate on overall productivity in agriculture can be understood when we study the effects of individual components contributing to the changing climate on plants and crops. Elevated CO2 (eCO2) and drought due to high variability in rainfall is one of the important manifestations of the changing climate. There is a considerable amount of literature that addresses climate effects on plant systems from molecules to ecosystems. Of particular interest is the effect of increased CO2 on plants in relation to drought and water stress. As it is known that one of the consistent effects of increased CO2 in the atmosphere is increased photosynthesis, especially in C3 plants, it will be interesting to know the effect of drought in relation to elevated CO2. The potential of elevated CO2 ameliorating the effects of water deficit stress is evident from literature, which suggests that these two agents are brothers in arms protecting the plant from stress rather than partners in crime, specifically for water deficit when in isolation. The possible mechanisms by which this occurs will be discussed in this minireview. Interpreting the effects of short-term and long-term exposure of plants to elevated CO2 in the context of ameliorating the negative impacts of drought will show us the possible ways by which there can be effective adaption to crops in the changing climate scenario. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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16 pages, 1416 KiB  
Review
The Role of Serendipita indica (Piriformospora indica) in Improving Plant Resistance to Drought and Salinity Stresses
by Mohammad Reza Boorboori and Hai-Yang Zhang
Biology 2022, 11(7), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11070952 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3999
Abstract
Plant stress is one of the biggest threats to crops, causing irreparable damage to farmers’ incomes; Therefore, finding suitable, affordable, and practical solutions will help the agricultural economy and prevent the loss of millions of tons of agricultural products. Scientists have taken significant [...] Read more.
Plant stress is one of the biggest threats to crops, causing irreparable damage to farmers’ incomes; Therefore, finding suitable, affordable, and practical solutions will help the agricultural economy and prevent the loss of millions of tons of agricultural products. Scientists have taken significant steps toward improving farm productivity in the last few decades by discovering how beneficial soil microorganisms enhance plant resistance to environmental stresses. Among these microorganisms is Serendipita indica, which the benefits of coexisting this fungus with plant roots have been extensively explored in recent years. By investigating fungus specification and its effects on plants’ morphological, physiological, and molecular traits, the present study seeks to understand how Serendipita indica affects plant resistance to salinity and drought conditions. Furthermore, this study attempts to identify the unknown mechanisms of action of the coexistence of Serendipita indica with plants in the face of stress using information from previous studies. Thus, it provides a way for future research to assess the impact of this fungus on tackling environmental stresses and enhancing agricultural productivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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24 pages, 2575 KiB  
Review
An Insight into Abiotic Stress and Influx Tolerance Mechanisms in Plants to Cope in Saline Environments
by Zarmina Gul, Zhong-Hua Tang, Muhammad Arif and Zhang Ye
Biology 2022, 11(4), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11040597 - 14 Apr 2022
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5944
Abstract
Salinity is significant abiotic stress that affects the majority of agricultural, irrigated, and cultivated land. It is an issue of global importance, causing many socio-economic problems. Salt stress mainly occurs due to two factors: (1) soil type and (2) irrigation water. It is [...] Read more.
Salinity is significant abiotic stress that affects the majority of agricultural, irrigated, and cultivated land. It is an issue of global importance, causing many socio-economic problems. Salt stress mainly occurs due to two factors: (1) soil type and (2) irrigation water. It is a major environmental constraint, limiting crop growth, plant productivity, and agricultural yield. Soil salinity is a major problem that considerably distorts ecological habitats in arid and semi-arid regions. Excess salts in the soil affect plant nutrient uptake and osmotic balance, leading to osmotic and ionic stress. Plant adaptation or tolerance to salinity stress involves complex physiological traits, metabolic pathways, the production of enzymes, compatible solutes, metabolites, and molecular or genetic networks. Different plant species have different salt overly sensitive pathways and high-affinity K+ channel transporters that maintain ion homeostasis. However, little progress has been made in developing salt-tolerant crop varieties using different breeding approaches. This review highlights the interlinking of plant morpho-physiological, molecular, biochemical, and genetic approaches to produce salt-tolerant plant species. Most of the research emphasizes the significance of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in protecting plants from biotic and abiotic stressors. Plant growth, survival, and yield can be stabilized by utilizing this knowledge using different breeding and agronomical techniques. This information marks existing research areas and future gaps that require more attention to reveal new salt tolerance determinants in plants—in the future, creating genetically modified plants could help increase crop growth and the toleration of saline environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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2 pages, 809 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Ye et al. Investigation of the JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN Gene Family Reveals the Canonical JA-Signaling Pathway in Pineapple. Biology 2022, 11, 445
by Li Ye, Ling Cao, Xuemei Zhao, Xinya Guo, Kangzhuo Ye, Sibo Jiao, Yu Wang, Xiaoxue He, Chunxing Dong, Bin Hu, Fang Deng, Heming Zhao, Ping Zheng, Mohammad Aslam, Yuan Qin and Yan Cheng
Biology 2022, 11(10), 1385; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11101385 - 23 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1464
Abstract
The authors would like to make the following correction to the published paper [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Physiological and Molecular Basis of Stress Tolerance in Plants)
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