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Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition
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Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 3260

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. De-Guo Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: transcription factors in abiotic stress (cold, drought, salt, etc.) and response of fruit
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants in the natural environment are constantly challenged by changes in the environment, including abiotic and biotic stresses. Abiotic stresses such as drought, salt, heat, cold, and nutrient deficiency adversely affect plant growth, development, and productivity. Biotic stress, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, beneficial and harmful insects, weeds, and cultivated or native plants, is a major focus of agricultural research due to the vast economic losses caused to cash crops. Plants have evolved a series of regulatory mechanisms to cope with stress in the process of adapting to abiotic or biotic stress. Studying the regulatory mechanisms of plant stress tolerance to adversity is beneficial in selecting excellent resistant varieties.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for research on the physiology and molecular biology of plant stress tolerance. We believe that this Special Issue will be helpful to researchers and to the improvement of plants’ tolerance to stresses in the future. We welcome your submission of original papers and reviews containing molecular results.

Prof. Dr. De-Guo Han
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • plant–pathogen interactions
  • biotic and abiotic stress
  • plant innate immunity
  • phytohormones
  • genes

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1119 KiB  
Article
A Maize Calmodulin-like 3 Gene Positively Regulates Drought Tolerance in Maize and Arabidopsis
by Dan Li, Hanqiao Wang, Fushun Luo, Mingrui Li, Zhiqiang Wu, Meiyi Liu, Zhen Wang, Zhenyuan Zang and Liangyu Jiang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1329; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26031329 - 4 Feb 2025
Abstract
Drought stress is one of the important abiotic stresses that affects maize production. As an important Ca2+ sensor, calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs) play key roles in plant growth, development, and stress response, but there are a limited number of studies regarding CMLs in [...] Read more.
Drought stress is one of the important abiotic stresses that affects maize production. As an important Ca2+ sensor, calmodulin-like proteins (CMLs) play key roles in plant growth, development, and stress response, but there are a limited number of studies regarding CMLs in response to drought stress. In this study, a Calmodulin-like gene, namely ZmCML3, was isolated from maize (Zea mays L.). The coding sequence (CDS) of ZmCML3 was 474 bp and a protein of 158 aa which contains three EF-hand motifs. ZmCML3 was localized within the nucleus and plasma membrane. The expression of ZmCML3 was induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000, NaCl, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and abscisic acid (ABA). Overexpression of ZmCML3 resulted in enhanced drought tolerance in maize through increasing proline (Pro) content and the activity of peroxide (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Meanwhile, ZmCML3 also positively regulated the expression of drought stress-responsive genes in maize under drought stress treatment. Taken together, ZmCML3 acts as a positive regulator in maize response to drought stress. These results will provide theoretical basis for breeding drought tolerance maize variety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition)
24 pages, 9961 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of bZIP Transcription Factors and Expression Patterns in Response to Salt and Drought Stress in Vaccinium corymbosum
by Xinghua Feng, Chuchu Wang, Sijin Jia, Jiaying Wang, Lianxia Zhou, Yan Song, Qingxun Guo and Chunyu Zhang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(2), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26020843 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 553
Abstract
The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors play essential roles in multiple stress responses and have been identified and functionally characterized in many plant species. However, the bZIP family members in blueberry are unclear. In this study, we identified 102 VcbZIP genes in [...] Read more.
The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors play essential roles in multiple stress responses and have been identified and functionally characterized in many plant species. However, the bZIP family members in blueberry are unclear. In this study, we identified 102 VcbZIP genes in Vaccinium corymbosum. VcbZIPs were divided into 10 groups based on phylogenetic analysis, and each group shared similar motifs, domains, and gene structures. Predictions of cis-regulatory elements in the upstream sequences of VcbZIP genes indicated that VcbZIP proteins are likely involved in phytohormone signaling pathways and abiotic stress responses. Analyses of RNA deep sequencing data showed that 18, 13, and 7 VcbZIP genes were differentially expressed in response to salt, drought, and ABA stress, respectively, for the blueberry cultivar Northland. Ten VcbZIP genes responded to both salt and drought stress, indicating that salt and drought have unique and overlapping signals. Of these genes, VcbZIP1–3 are responsive to salt, drought, and abscisic acid treatments, and their encoded proteins may integrate salt, drought, and ABA signaling. Furthermore, VcbZIP1–3 from group A and VcbZIP83–84 and VcbZIP75 from group S exhibited high or low expression under salt or drought stress and might be important regulators for improving drought or salt tolerance. Pearson correlation analyses revealed that VcbZIP transcription factors may regulate stress-responsive genes to improve drought or salt tolerance in a functionally redundant manner. Our study provides a useful reference for functional analyses of VcbZIP genes and for improving salt and drought stress tolerance in blueberry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 14013 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in Betula platyphylla Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
by Shengzhou Guo, Hao Chen, Hongwei Wu, Zuyuan Xu, Hao Yang, Qinmin Lin, Hanyu Feng, Zilu Zeng, Sanjiao Wang, Haolin Liu, Xiaomin Liu, Shijiang Cao and Kang Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(1), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26010172 - 28 Dec 2024
Viewed by 491
Abstract
Heat stress transcription factors (HSFs) play a critical role in orchestrating cellular responses to elevated temperatures and various stress conditions. While extensively studied in model plants, the HSF gene family in Betula platyphylla remains unexplored, despite the availability of its sequenced genome. In [...] Read more.
Heat stress transcription factors (HSFs) play a critical role in orchestrating cellular responses to elevated temperatures and various stress conditions. While extensively studied in model plants, the HSF gene family in Betula platyphylla remains unexplored, despite the availability of its sequenced genome. In this study, we employed bioinformatics approaches to identify 21 BpHSF genes within the Betula platyphylla genome, revealing their uneven distribution across chromosomes. These genes were categorized into three subfamilies: A, B, and C. Each was characterized by conserved protein motifs and gene structures, with notable divergence observed between subfamilies. Collinearity analysis suggested that segmental duplication events have driven the evolutionary expansion of the BpHSF gene family. Promoter region analysis identified an array of cis-acting elements linked to growth, development, hormonal regulation, and stress responses. Subcellular localization experiments confirmed the nuclear localization of BpHSFA2a, BpHSFB1a, and BpHSFC1a, consistent with in silico predictions. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses revealed tissue-specific expression patterns of BpHSF genes and their dynamic responses to heat stress, with qPCR validation highlighting a significant upregulation of BpHSFA2a under high-temperature conditions. In summary, this study provided a comprehensive characterization of the HSF gene family in Betula platyphylla, laying a solid foundation for future functional studies. Particularly, BpHSFA2a emerges as a promising candidate gene for enhancing heat tolerance in Betula platyphylla, warranting further detailed investigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 8001 KiB  
Article
Studies on the Physiological Response of Hemerocallis middendorffii to Two Types of Drought Stresses
by Qi Wang, Xi Lu, Yue Sun, Jiahui Yu, Qingtao Cao, Yiting Xiao, Nan Jiang, Lifei Chen and Yunwei Zhou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(24), 13733; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252413733 - 23 Dec 2024
Viewed by 410
Abstract
Drought is a major environmental factor limiting plant growth and development. Hemerocallis middendorffii is a perennial herbaceous plant with high drought resistance, and high ornamental and application values. Understanding the mechanism of drought stress resistance in H. middendorffii is helpful for better utilization [...] Read more.
Drought is a major environmental factor limiting plant growth and development. Hemerocallis middendorffii is a perennial herbaceous plant with high drought resistance, and high ornamental and application values. Understanding the mechanism of drought stress resistance in H. middendorffii is helpful for better utilization of plant resources and selection of excellent germplasms. In this study, the phenological and physiological traits of H. middendorffii were comprehensively analyzed under natural drought stress (ND) and PEG-simulated drought stress (PD), and the resistance of H. middendorffii to different levels of drought stress was evaluated. ND was treated using a natural water loss method. PD was treated under drought stress by using PEG-6000. H. middendorffii were able to grow within 15 d of ND and 4 d of 20% PD. Beyond this drought time, H. middendorffii will wilt and lose their ornamental value. Further study showed that H. middendorffii protect themselves from damage and enhance drought resistance mainly by increasing the content of osmoregulatory substances, enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and inhibiting photosynthesis. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content accumulated rapidly at 15 d of ND and 7 d of PD. Antioxidant enzyme activities peaked at 15 d of ND and 4 d of PD. Photosynthetic parameters decreased at 15 d of ND and 4 d of 20% PD, respectively. Moreover, we identified that the HmWRKY9 gene was up-regulated for expression in the leaves after ND and PD. HmWRKY9 may be involved in regulating the response of H. middendorffii to drought stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition)
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23 pages, 6614 KiB  
Article
5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA)-Induced Drought Resistance in Maize Seedling Root at Physiological and Transcriptomic Levels
by Yaqiong Shi, Zihao Jin, Jingyi Wang, Guangkuo Zhou, Fang Wang and Yunling Peng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12963; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312963 - 2 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1010
Abstract
Drought stress seriously affects the growth, development, yield, and quality of maize. This study aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous 5-ALA on root morphology and physiological changes in maize seedlings and to detect its regulatory network. The results showed that adding 25 [...] Read more.
Drought stress seriously affects the growth, development, yield, and quality of maize. This study aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous 5-ALA on root morphology and physiological changes in maize seedlings and to detect its regulatory network. The results showed that adding 25 mg/L 5-ALA accelerated root morphogenesis (root average diameter, main root length, total root length, and root surface area) and promoted dry matter accumulation and free radical removal. Transcriptome analysis showed that after applying exogenous 5-ALA, differently expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly involved in histidine metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, plasma membrane components, secondary active sulfate transmembrane transporter activity, and anion reverse transporter activity. Two inbred lines specifically responded to organelle and structural molecular activity, and 5-ALA may regulate maize roots to achieve drought tolerance through these two pathways. In addition, candidate genes that may regulate maize root growth were screened by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). These genes may play important roles in alleviating drought stress through lignin synthesis, heat shock proteins, iron storage and transport, calcium binding proteins, and plasma membrane regulation of exogenous regulator 5-ALA. Our results may provide a theoretical basis for clarifying the response of maize seedling roots to drought and the mechanism of exogenous hormones in alleviating drought. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance: 2nd Edition)
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