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Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance

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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: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 24805

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mingqiu Dai

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Guest Editor

National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: plant abbiotic stress tolerance; molecular maker; genetic engineering

Prof. Dr. William Terzaghi

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It has been predicted by the FAO that food supply will need to increase by 70% in 2050 to feed the growing world population and meet our needs. However, global climate change severely threatens crop production. Drought occurs worldwide and causes ~10% reduction of yield every year. Engineering of drought-tolerant crops is an effective way to cope with the growing pressure on crop production and food security. Plant drought tolerance is a complex trait regulated by many quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with minor effects. So far, many drought-tolerant QTLs have been mapped in crops, but few of them have been cloned and functionally studied, which slows down the process of crop drought tolerance breeding. This Special Issue, “Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance”, will cover recent research topics and current review articles in the field of drought in crops. Experimental and bioinformatics papers, up-to-date review articles, and commentaries are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mingqiu Dai

Prof. Dr. William Terzaghi

Guest Editors

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Keywords

drought stress
natural variation
gene regulation
QTL mapping
crop population
molecular mechanism

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2664 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PtrVCS2 Regulates Drought Resistance by Changing Vessel Morphology and Stomatal Closure in Populus trichocarpa

by Meng Li, Hao Dong, Jiyuan Li, Xiufang Dai, Jiaojiao Lin, Shuang Li, Chenguang Zhou, Vincent L. Chiang and Wei Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4458; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054458 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2222

Abstract

Drought has severe effects on plant growth, forest productivity, and survival throughout the world. Understanding the molecular regulation of drought resistance in forest trees can enable effective strategic engineering of novel drought-resistant genotypes of tree species. In this study, we identified a gene, PtrVCS2, encoding a zinc finger (ZF) protein of the ZF-homeodomain transcription factor in Populus trichocarpa (Black Cottonwood) Torr. & A. Gray. ex Hook. Overexpression of PtrVCS2 (OE-PtrVCS2) in P. trichocarpa resulted in reduced growth, a higher proportion of smaller stem vessels, and strong drought-resistance phenotypes. Stomatal movement experiments revealed that the OE-PtrVCS2 transgenics showed lower stomata apertures than wild-type plants under drought conditions. RNA-seq analysis of the OE-PtrVCS2 transgenics showed that PtrVCS2 regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in regulation of stomatal opening and closing, particularly the PtrSULTR3;1-1 gene, and several genes related to cell wall biosynthesis, such as PtrFLA11-12 and PtrPR3-3. Moreover, we found that the water use efficiency of the OE-PtrVCS2 transgenic plants was consistently higher than that of wild type plants when subjected to chronic drought stress. Taken together, our results suggest that PtrVCS2 plays a positive role in improving drought adaptability and resistance in P. trichocarpa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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19 pages, 5371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Plastidial DIG5 Protein Affects Lateral Root Development by Regulating Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Auxin Transport in Arabidopsis

by Wei Liu, Tao Chen, Yajie Liu, Quang Tri Le, Ruigang Wang, Hojoung Lee and Liming Xiong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(18), 10642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231810642 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3224

Abstract

To reveal the mechanisms underlying root adaptation to drought stress, we isolated and characterized an Arabidopsis mutant, dig5 (drought inhibition of lateral root growth 5), which exhibited increased sensitivity to the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) for the inhibition of lateral root growth. The dig5 mutant also had fewer lateral roots under normal conditions and the aerial parts were yellowish with a lower level of chlorophylls. The mutant seedlings also displayed phenotypes indicative of impaired auxin transport, such as abnormal root curling, leaf venation defects, absence of apical hook formation, and reduced hypocotyl elongation in darkness. Auxin transport assays with [³H]-labeled indole acetic acid (IAA) confirmed that dig5 roots were impaired in polar auxin transport. Map-based cloning and complementation assays indicated that the DIG5 locus encodes a chloroplast-localized tRNA adenosine deaminase arginine (TADA) that is involved in chloroplast protein translation. The levels of flavonoids, which are naturally occurring auxin transport inhibitors in plants, were significantly higher in dig5 roots than in the wild type roots. Further investigation showed that flavonoid biosynthetic genes were upregulated in dig5. Introduction of the flavonoid biosynthetic mutation transparent testa 4 (tt4) into dig5 restored the lateral root growth of dig5. Our study uncovers an important role of DIG5/TADA in retrogradely controlling flavonoid biosynthesis and lateral root development. We suggest that the DIG5-related signaling pathways, triggered likely by drought-induced chlorophyll breakdown and leaf senescence, may potentially help the plants to adapt to drought stress through optimizing the root system architecture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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15 pages, 3627 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 28 Maintains Potato Photosynthesis and Its Tolerance under Water Deficiency and Osmotic Stress

by Xi Zhu, Fangfang Wang, Shigui Li, Ya Feng, Jiangwei Yang, Ning Zhang and Huaijun Si

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8795; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158795 - 8 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1833

Abstract

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK) are implicated in signaling transduction in eukaryotic organisms. It is largely unknown whether StCDPK28 plays a role in the response to water deficiency and osmotic stress in potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.). Potato cv. Zihuabai was cultivated under natural, moderate, and severe water deficiency conditions; to induce osmotic stress, potato plants were treated with 10% or 20% PEG. StCDPK28-overexpression and StCDPK28-knockdown plants were constructed. StCDPKs were evaluated by qRT-PCR. The subcellular location of the StCDPK28 protein was observed with confocal scanning laser microscopy. Phenotypic changes were indicated by photosynthetic activity, the contents of H₂O₂, MDA and proline, and the activities of CAT, SOD and POD. Results showed water deficiency and osmotic stress altered StCDPK expression patterns. StCDPK28 exhibited a membrane, cytosolic and nuclear localization. Water deficiency and osmotic stress induced StCDPK28 upregulation. Photosynthetic activity was enhanced by StCDPK28 overexpression, while decreased by StCDPK2 knockdown under water deficiency and osmotic stress. StCDPK28 overexpression decreased H₂O₂ and MDA, and increased proline, while StCDPK28 knockdown showed reverse results, compared with the wild type, in response to water deficiency and osmotic stress. StCDPK28 overexpression increased the activities of CAT, SOD and POD, while StCDPK28-knockdown plants indicated the reverse trend under water deficiency and osmotic stress conditions. Regulation of StCDPK28 expression could be a promising approach to improve the tolerance ability of potato plants in response to drought or high salt media. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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23 pages, 10101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Seedling-Stage Soybean Responses to PEG-Simulated Drought Stress

by Xiyue Wang, Shuang Song, Xin Wang, Jun Liu and Shoukun Dong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(12), 6869; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23126869 - 20 Jun 2022

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 4334

Abstract

Soybean is an important crop grown worldwide, and drought stress seriously affects the yield and quality of soybean. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying soybean resistance to drought stress. In this study, RNA-seq technology and ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry were used to analyze the transcriptome and metabolome changes in soybean leaves at the seedling stage under drought stress. The results showed that there were 4790 and 3483 DEGs (differentially expressed genes) and 156 and 124 DAMs (differentially expressed metabolites), respectively, in the HN65CK vs. HN65S0 and HN44CK vs. HN44S0 comparison groups. Comprehensive analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data reveals metabolic regulation of seedling soybean in response to drought stress. Some candidate genes such as LOC100802571, LOC100814585, LOC100777350 and LOC100787920, LOC100800547, and LOC100785313 showed different expression trends between the two cultivars, which may cause differences in drought resistance. Secondly, a large number of flavonoids were identified, and the expression of Monohydroxy-trimethoxyflavone-O-(6″-malonyl)glucoside was upregulated between the two varieties. Finally, several key candidate genes and metabolites involved in isoflavone biosynthesis and the TCA cycle were identified, suggesting that these metabolic pathways play important roles in soybean response to drought. Our study deepens the understanding of soybean drought resistance mechanisms and provides references for soybean drought resistance breeding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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19 pages, 3920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Melatonin Promotes SGT1-Involved Signals to Ameliorate Drought Stress Adaption in Rice

by Ruiqing Li, Ruifang Yang, Wenyin Zheng, Liquan Wu, Can Zhang and Huali Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(2), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23020599 - 6 Jan 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 2868

Abstract

Drought has become one of the environmental threats to agriculture and food security. Applications of melatonin (MT) serve as an effective way to alleviate drought stress, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we found that foliar spray of 100-µM MT greatly mitigated the severe drought stress-induced damages in rice seedlings, including improved survival rates, enhanced antioxidant system, and adjusted osmotic balance. However, mutation of the suppressor of the G2 allele of skp1 (OsSGT1) and ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 5 (OsABI5) abolished the effects of MT. Furthermore, the upregulated expression of OsABI5 was detected in wild type (WT) under drought stress, irrespective of MT treatment, whereas OsABI5 was significantly downregulated in sgt1 and sgt1abi5 mutants. In contrast, no change of the OsSGT1 expression level was detected in abi5. Moreover, mutation of OsSGT1 and OsABI5 significantly suppressed the expression of genes associated with the antioxidant system. These results suggested that the functions of OsSGT1 in the MT-mediated alleviation of drought stress were associated with the ABI5-mediated signals. Collectively, we demonstrated that OsSGT1 was involved in the drought response of rice and that melatonin promoted SGT1-involved signals to ameliorate drought stress adaption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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19 pages, 3465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maize DNA Methylation in Response to Drought Stress Is Involved in Target Gene Expression and Alternative Splicing

by Qi Wang, Jie Xu, Xuemei Pu, Haozhe Lv, Yanjun Liu, Huili Ma, Fengkai Wu, Qingjun Wang, Xuanjun Feng, Tianhong Liu, Qi Tang, Yaxi Liu and Yanli Lu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(15), 8285; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22158285 - 31 Jul 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3751

Abstract

DNA methylation is important for plant growth, development, and stress response. To understand DNA methylation dynamics in maize roots under water stress (WS), we reanalyzed DNA methylation sequencing data to profile DNA methylation and the gene expression landscape of two inbred lines with different drought sensitivities, as well as two of their derived recombination inbred lines (RILs). Combined with genotyping-by-sequencing, we found that the inheritance pattern of DNA methylation between RILs and parental lines was sequence-dependent. Increased DNA methylation levels were observed under WS and the methylome of drought-tolerant inbred lines were much more stable than that of the drought-sensitive inbred lines. Distinctive differentially methylated genes were found among diverse genetic backgrounds, suggesting that inbred lines with different drought sensitivities may have responded to stress in varying ways. Gene body DNA methylation showed a negative correlation with gene expression but a positive correlation with exon splicing events. Furthermore, a positive correlation of a varying extent was observed between small interfering RNA (siRNA) and DNA methylation, which at different genic regions. The response of siRNAs under WS was consistent with the differential DNA methylation. Taken together, our data can be useful in deciphering the roles of DNA methylation in plant drought-tolerance variations and in emphasizing its function in alternative splicing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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Review

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25 pages, 1625 KiB

Open AccessReview

One Hundred Candidate Genes and Their Roles in Drought and Salt Tolerance in Wheat

by Ieva Urbanavičiūtė, Luca Bonfiglioli and Mario A. Pagnotta

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(12), 6378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22126378 - 15 Jun 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4667

Abstract

Drought and salinity are major constraints to agriculture. In this review, we present an overview of the global situation and the consequences of drought and salt stress connected to climatic changes. We provide a list of possible genetic resources as sources of resistance or tolerant traits, together with the previous studies that focused on transferring genes from the germplasm to cultivated varieties. We explained the morphological and physiological aspects connected to hydric stresses, described the mechanisms that induce tolerance, and discussed the results of the main studies. Finally, we described more than 100 genes associated with tolerance to hydric stresses in the Triticeae. These were divided in agreement with their main function into osmotic adjustment and ionic and redox homeostasis. The understanding of a given gene function and expression pattern according to hydric stress is particularly important for the efficient selection of new tolerant genotypes in classical breeding. For this reason, the current review provides a crucial reference for future studies on the mechanism involved in hydric stress tolerance and the use of these genes in mark assistance selection (MAS) to select the wheat germplasm to face the climatic changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Control of Plant Drought Tolerance)

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