Advancing Plant Resilience: Genetics and Agronomy

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (14 November 2025) | Viewed by 819

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, China
Interests: rice; molecular mechanism; abiotic stress; phytohormones
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Guest Editor
College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
Interests: plants; seeds; starch synthesis; stress response

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
Interests: crops; root morphogenesis; plant development; drought stress

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to escalating global climate challenges, agricultural systems are increasingly exposed to unpredictable and severe stresses, threatening crop productivity and food security. Enhancing plant resilience to these stresses is crucial for ensuring sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. This Special Issue will provide cutting-edge scientific insights and highlight future research directions that deepen our understanding of the genetic mechanisms and agronomic practices that enhance plant tolerance to stressors.

We invite you and your colleagues to contribute original research articles, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, brief reports, and case studies that explore innovative genetic and agronomic strategies to bolster plant resilience. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the genetic regulation of stress responses, signaling networks, breeding for stress-tolerant crops, precision agriculture, and sustainable agronomic practices. Understanding the interplay between genetic factors and cultivation techniques can significantly improve crop performance under adverse environmental conditions, optimize resource use efficiency, and reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture. We particularly encourage submissions that address emerging challenges in plant stress biology, propose novel integrative approaches, or focus on translating genetic discoveries into practical agronomic solutions. Your contributions will help to advance our knowledge and provide actionable strategies to build more resilient agricultural systems in a changing climate.

Dr. Meng Jiang
Dr. Ruiqing Li
Dr. Ning Xu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • plant stress
  • genetic mechanisms
  • signaling networks
  • agronomic practices
  • sustainable agriculture
  • crop improvement
  • stress mitigation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1915 KB  
Article
Functional Characterization of OsWRKY7, a Novel WRKY Transcription Factor in Rice
by Yuting Wei, Zhengyu Si, Haozhe Zhang, Can Hu, Bo Liu, Chenfan Zheng, Yuanyuan Tan, Qingyao Shu and Meng Jiang
Life 2025, 15(12), 1852; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121852 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 598
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) orchestrate plant growth and development, yet the functional landscape of many TF gene families remains incomplete. Here, we systematically characterize OsWRKY7, an unannotated WRKY TF in rice. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that the WRKY7 subfamily originated in basal angiosperms and [...] Read more.
Transcription factors (TFs) orchestrate plant growth and development, yet the functional landscape of many TF gene families remains incomplete. Here, we systematically characterize OsWRKY7, an unannotated WRKY TF in rice. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that the WRKY7 subfamily originated in basal angiosperms and evolved under strong purifying selection. We demonstrate OsWRKY7 functions as a WRKY transcriptional activator, with its activity uniquely encoded within the N-terminal domain—a distinctive mechanism among WRKY proteins. The promoter is enriched with cis-elements responsive to hormone and stress signaling, and the gene shows predominant expression in seeds. Strikingly, haplotype analysis revealed exceptionally low genetic diversity at the OsWRKY7 locus, suggesting evolutionary constraint or a recent selective sweep. Our findings establish OsWRKY7 as a conserved regulator with unique molecular features, specifically the WRKY domain, providing a strategic target for both fundamental research and crop improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Plant Resilience: Genetics and Agronomy)
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