Abiotic Stress in Plants_Life

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 9604

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant–water relations; plant nutrition; abiotic stress response
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Guest Editor
Department of Crop Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
Interests: metabolomics; transcriptomics; shoot–root communication; carbohydrate metabolism; abiotic stresses; plant nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants encounter various abiotic stresses in their life cycle, and they have a mechanism to cope with the stress. Due to climate change, abiotic stress is experienced by plants more frequently, and understanding the strategies to survive abiotic stress becomes more important.

Abiotic stresses significantly influence plant growth and nutrition via changes in water and nutrient uptake and photosynthesis. Understanding plant stress responses and plant adaptation to those abiotic stresses would pave the way to overcome harmful stress effects.

The main objective of this Special Issue is to understand the hidden mechanism(s) of how plants adapt to abiotic stresses in order to transfer this novel knowledge into the agricultural practices for producing stable crop yield and improving its quality.

Dr. Yangmin X. Kim
Dr. Jwakyung Sung
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • crop science
  • response to abiotic stress
  • root nutrient uptake
  • plant water relation

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 3046 KiB  
Article
Breeding Efficiency for Salt Tolerance in Alfalfa
by Michael D. Peel, M. Rokebul Anower and Yajun Wu
Life 2023, 13(11), 2188; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13112188 - 10 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1143
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), one of the most extensively grown forage crops, is sensitive to saline soils. We measured the breeding efficiency for increased salt tolerance in alfalfa by comparing lines selected from BC79S, CS, and SII populations with their unselected parental [...] Read more.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), one of the most extensively grown forage crops, is sensitive to saline soils. We measured the breeding efficiency for increased salt tolerance in alfalfa by comparing lines selected from BC79S, CS, and SII populations with their unselected parental means for forage mass and associated changes in stem length, leaf-to-stem ratio (LSR), number of nodes per stem, crude protein (CP) content, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content. The overall forage mass in the non-salt-stressed test (9562 kg ha−1) was greater (p < 0.001) than under salt stress (5783 kg ha−1), with a 40% production advantage. In the non-salt-stressed test, the BC79S and CS lines averaged at a 4% lower production than their parents, while SII lines had on average a 9% greater production. Conversely, in the salt-stressed test, all lines showed a 20% overall greater seasonal production than their parents. Some selected lines produced more forage mass in both the non-stressed and salt-stressed tests than their parents. The stem length, LSR, node number, CP content, and NDF content of the selected lines varied with respect to non-stressed vs. stressed, but they tended not to differ greatly from their respective parental means under either non- or salt-stressed conditions. The selection protocol provided a universal increase in forage mass under salt-stressed field conditions of the selected lines. Furthermore, we identified lines with forage mass values greater than their parental means under non- and salt-stressed field conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants_Life)
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12 pages, 4743 KiB  
Article
Novel Compounds Derived from DFPM Induce Root Growth Arrest through the Specific VICTR Alleles of Arabidopsis Accessions
by Seojung Kim, Miri Cho and Tae-Houn Kim
Life 2023, 13(9), 1797; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13091797 - 23 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1144
Abstract
The small compound [5-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) furan-2-yl]-piperidine-1-ylmethanethione (DFPM) inhibits ABA responses by activating effector-triggered immune signal transduction in Arabidopsis. In addition to the known function of DFPM as an antagonist of ABA signaling, DFPM causes accession-specific root growth arrest in Arabidopsis Columbia-0 via the TIR-NLR [...] Read more.
The small compound [5-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) furan-2-yl]-piperidine-1-ylmethanethione (DFPM) inhibits ABA responses by activating effector-triggered immune signal transduction in Arabidopsis. In addition to the known function of DFPM as an antagonist of ABA signaling, DFPM causes accession-specific root growth arrest in Arabidopsis Columbia-0 via the TIR-NLR protein VICTR (VARIATION IN COMPOUND TRIGGERED ROOT growth response) in an EDS1/PAD4/RAR1/SGT1B-dependent manner. Although DFPM could control the specific steps of various cellular responses, the functional residues for the activity of DFPM or the existence of a stronger version of DFPM modification have not been characterized thoroughly. This study analyzed twenty-two DFPM derivatives during root growth arrest, inhibition of ABA signaling, and induction of biotic signal transduction to determine critical residues that confer the specific activity of DFPM. Furthermore, this study identified two more Arabidopsis accessions that generate significant root growth arrest in response to DFPM derivatives dependent on multiple amino acid polymorphisms in the coding region of VICTR. The isolation of novel compounds, such as DFPM-5, and specific amino acid polymorphisms critical for the compound-induced responses will help determine the detailed regulatory mechanism for how DFPM regulates abiotic and biotic stress signaling interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants_Life)
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15 pages, 2351 KiB  
Article
The Splicing Factor SR45 Negatively Regulates Anthocyanin Accumulation under High-Light Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana
by Mohammed Albaqami
Life 2023, 13(6), 1386; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061386 - 14 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
High-intensity light (HL) greatly induces the accumulation of anthocyanin, a fundamental compound in photoprotection and antioxidation. Many mechanisms regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis are well-characterized across developmental and environmental conditions; however, post-transcriptional regulation of its biosynthesis remains unclear. RNA splicing is one mechanism of post-transcriptional [...] Read more.
High-intensity light (HL) greatly induces the accumulation of anthocyanin, a fundamental compound in photoprotection and antioxidation. Many mechanisms regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis are well-characterized across developmental and environmental conditions; however, post-transcriptional regulation of its biosynthesis remains unclear. RNA splicing is one mechanism of post-transcriptional control and reprogramming in response to different developmental cues and stress conditions. The Arabidopsis splicing modulator SR45 regulates a number of developmental and environmental stress responses. Here, we investigated the role of SR45 and its isoforms in HL-induced anthocyanin accumulation. We found that the SR45 promoter contains light-responsive cis-elements, and that light stress significantly increases SR45 expression. Furthermore, we found that mutant plants lacking SR45 function (sr45) accumulate significantly more anthocyanin under HL. SR45 is alternatively spliced to produce two proteins, SR45.1 and SR45.2, which differ by seven amino acids. Intriguingly, these isoforms exhibited distinct functions, with only SR45.1 reversing anthocyanin accumulation in the sr45 plants. We also identified possible SR45 target genes that are involved in anthocyanin synthesis. Consistent with the antioxidant role of anthocyanin, we found that sr45 mutants and SR45.2 overexpression lines accumulate anthocyanin and better tolerate paraquat which induces oxidative stress. Collectively, our results reveal that the Arabidopsis splicing regulator SR45 inhibits anthocyanin accumulation under HL, which may negatively affect oxidative stress tolerance. This study illuminates splicing-level regulation of anthocyanin production in response to light stress and offers a possible target for genetic modification to increase plant stress tolerance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants_Life)
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18 pages, 3077 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Associated with Flooding Tolerance in Mulberry Plants
by Jingtao Hu, Yanyan Duan, Junnian Yang, Liping Gan, Wenjing Chen, Jin Yang, Guosheng Xiao, Lingliang Guan and Jingsheng Chen
Life 2023, 13(5), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13051087 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2324
Abstract
Mulberry (Morus alba), a widely distributed economic plant, can withstand long-term flooding stress. However, the regulatory gene network underlying this tolerance is unknown. In the present study, mulberry plants were subjected to submergence stress. Subsequently, mulberry leaves were collected to perform [...] Read more.
Mulberry (Morus alba), a widely distributed economic plant, can withstand long-term flooding stress. However, the regulatory gene network underlying this tolerance is unknown. In the present study, mulberry plants were subjected to submergence stress. Subsequently, mulberry leaves were collected to perform quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and transcriptome analysis. Genes encoding ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase were significantly upregulated after submergence stress, indicating that they could protect the mulberry plant from flood damage by mediating ROS homeostasis. Genes that regulate starch and sucrose metabolism; genes encoding pyruvate kinase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and pyruvate decarboxylase (enzymes involved in glycolysis and ethanol fermentation); and genes encoding malate dehydrogenase and ATPase (enzymes involved in the TCA cycle) were also obviously upregulated. Hence, these genes likely played a key role in mitigating energy shortage during flooding stress. In addition, genes associated with ethylene, cytokinin, abscisic acid, and MAPK signaling; genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis; and transcription factor genes also showed upregulation under flooding stress in mulberry plants. These results provide further insights into the adaptation mechanisms and genetics of submergence tolerance in mulberry plants and could aid in the molecular breeding of these plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants_Life)
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Review

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13 pages, 3076 KiB  
Review
Colchicine-Induced Polyploidy in Leguminous Crops Enhances Morpho-Physiological Characteristics for Drought Stress Tolerance
by Phetole Mangena and Pirtunia Nyadzani Mushadu
Life 2023, 13(10), 1966; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13101966 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2740
Abstract
Legumes play a significant role in the alleviation of food insecurity, maintaining soil fertility, and achieving sustainable crop production under adverse environmental conditions. The increased demand in legume production contemplates that attention on the genetic improvement of these crops through various means such [...] Read more.
Legumes play a significant role in the alleviation of food insecurity, maintaining soil fertility, and achieving sustainable crop production under adverse environmental conditions. The increased demand in legume production contemplates that attention on the genetic improvement of these crops through various means such as genetic engineering and mutation breeding should take a centre stage in global agriculture. Therefore, this paper provides a succinct analysis of the currently available literature on morphological and physiological traits in polyploidised leguminous plants to counter the adverse effects of drought stress. The effects of colchicine on various morphological and physiological traits of polyploidised legumes compared to their diploid counterparts were examined. Numerous reports revealed variations in these traits, such as improved root and shoot growth, plant biomass, chloroplastidic content, protein, RNA, and DNA. The differences observed were also associated with the strong relationship between plant ploidy induction and colchicine application. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that polyploidisation remains dose-dependent and may be achievable within a shorter space of time as this antimitotic chemical interferes with chromosome separations in somatic plant cells. The efficiency of this process also depends on the advancement of treatment conditions (in vitro, in vivo, or ex vitro) and the successful regeneration of polyploidised plants for adaptation under drought stress conditions. As such, the improvement in metabolite profile and other essential growth characteristics serves as a clear indication that induced polyploidy needs to be further explored to confer resilience to environmental stress and improve crop yield under drought stress conditions in leguminous plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress in Plants_Life)
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