‘Omics’ and ‘Multi-Omics’ Insights into Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1776

Special Issue Editors

Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba P. Bag X13, South Africa
Interests: plant responses to abiotic stresses; drought; heat; combined drought and heat; ABA signalling; “omics” technologies; secretomics; secreted proteins; plant extracellular matrix

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Guest Editor
College of Science and Engineering (Biological Sciences), Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
Interests: plant genetics and genomics; molecular markers; plant genotyping; abiotic stress tolerance; drought, salinity, and dehydration; gene identification and expression analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to announce our Special Issue, and we hope that you will be interested in this pertinent topic.

Plants are often exposed to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, freezing, nutrient deficiency, and heavy metal toxicity, which limit their growth and development. In the case of crops, yields may be reduced, resulting in insufficient food supply for the growing population. In addition, these stresses may occur concomitantly under field conditions, resulting in diverse effects on plant growth. While stress combinations such as drought and ozone may result in potentially positive interactions, others, including drought and heat or salinity with nutrient deficiency, may cause more extensive plant cell damage and more significant yield reductions than the individual stresses. Furthermore, the frequency and magnitude of stresses, such as drought and heat, will likely increase with global warming. Consequently, there is growing interest among researchers in understanding the complex responses of plants to individual and combinations of abiotic stresses. A range of “omics” technologies are also improving our insights into stress-responsive changes in the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome of plants, while the sequencing of entire plant genomes is providing resources to guide crop-improvement strategies. Other research groups are working on validating the roles of these “omics-derived data” in stress adaptation using various methodologies, including transgenic plants, seed priming, and the exogenous application of growth-promoting compounds. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes submissions that broaden our insights into plant responses to individual abiotic stresses and their combinations using various “omics” approaches, including the functional validation of these data.

Dr. Rudo Ngara
Dr. Yuri Shavrukov
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • abiotic stress
  • plant stress responses
  • “omics” profiling and validation
  • genomics
  • transcriptomics
  • proteomics
  • metabolomics
  • gene expression
  • transgenic plant biology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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19 pages, 5560 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification, Classification, Expression Analysis, and Screening of Drought and Heat Resistance-Related Candidates of the Rboh Gene Family in Wheat
by Miyuan Cao, Yue Zhang, Xiaoxiao Zou, Huangping Yin, Yan Yin, Zeqi Li, Wenjun Xiao, Shucan Liu, Yongliang Li and Xinhong Guo
Plants 2024, 13(23), 3377; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13233377 - 30 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Plant respiratory burst oxidase homologs (Rbohs) are key enzymes that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which serve as signaling molecules regulating plant growth and stress responses. In this study, 39 TaRboh genes (TaRboh01TaRboh39) were identified. These genes were distributed [...] Read more.
Plant respiratory burst oxidase homologs (Rbohs) are key enzymes that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which serve as signaling molecules regulating plant growth and stress responses. In this study, 39 TaRboh genes (TaRboh01TaRboh39) were identified. These genes were distributed unevenly among the wheat genome’s fourteen chromosomes, with the exception of homoeologous group 2 and 7 and chromosomes 4A, as well as one unidentified linkage group (Un). TaRbohs were classified into ten distinct clades, each sharing similar motif compositions and gene structures. The promoter regions of TaRbohs contained cis-elements related to hormones, growth and development, and stresses. Furthermore, five TaRboh genes (TaRboh26, TaRboh27, TaRboh31, TaRboh32, and TaRboh34) exhibited strong evolutionary conservation. Additionally, a Ka/Ks analysis confirmed that purifying selection was the predominant force driving the evolution of these genes. Expression profiling and qPCR results further indicated differential expression patterns of TaRboh genes between heat and drought stresses. TaRboh11, TaRboh20, TaRboh22, TaRboh24, TaRboh29, and TaRboh34 were significantly upregulated under multiple stress conditions, whereas TaRboh30 was only elevated in response to drought stress. Collectively, our findings provide a systematic analysis of the wheat Rboh gene family and establish a theoretical framework for our future research on the role of Rboh genes in response to heat and drought stress. Full article
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9 pages, 233 KiB  
Opinion
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Application Triggers Plant Dehydration but Does Not Accurately Simulate Drought
by Gulnar Kylyshbayeva, Nazira Bishimbayeva, Sativaldy Jatayev, Serik Eliby and Yuri Shavrukov
Plants 2025, 14(1), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010092 - 31 Dec 2024
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Abstract
Polyethylene glycol (PEG), especially at high molecular weights, is highly soluble in water, and these solutions have reduced water potential. It is convenient to use PEG in hydroponics (liquid nutrient solution) for experiments with plants. However, some authors have been found to describe [...] Read more.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG), especially at high molecular weights, is highly soluble in water, and these solutions have reduced water potential. It is convenient to use PEG in hydroponics (liquid nutrient solution) for experiments with plants. However, some authors have been found to describe the application of PEG to plants incorrectly, such as drought, dehydration, osmotic, or water stresses, which can mislead readers. The presented opinion paper shows our arguments for a terminology in such experiments that is strictly limited to ‘PEG-induced’ or ‘simulated’ or ‘mimicked’ dehydration, and osmotic or water stresses, with the best option being ‘PEG-induced dehydration’. The most popular term, ‘drought’, is inappropriate to be used for hydroponics at all, with or without PEG. Traditionally, drought stress study was related to only plants in soil or other substrates mixed with soil. Based on 139 published papers, the examples presented in our opinion paper can demonstrate differences in gene expression between plants grown in containers with soil and under PEG-induced stress in hydroponics. Researchers can carry out any type of experiments suitable for the purposes of their study. However, clear and correct description of experiments and careful interpretation of the results are strongly required, especially with PEG, to avoid incorrect information. In all cases, at the final stage, results of experiments in controlled conditions have to be verified in field trials with naturally occurring drought. Full article
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