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Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful...
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Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions

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: 20 January 2025 | Viewed by 9345

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kwanuk Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Jeju National University, Jeju, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant physiology; plant molecular biology; abiotic stress tolerance; plant development
Dr. Won-Byoung Chae

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Dankook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: vegetable; abiotic stress; plant genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vegetable crops are naturally exposed to a variety of stress factors, including high amounts of light, low and high temperature, drought, salinity, waterlogging, heavy metals and pathogens, all of which seriously threaten plant growth, reproduction, and productivity. The adverse effects on vegetable growth and development have been constantly accelerating due to the industrialization and the global climate changes. The harmful effects of stressful conditions can be mitigated by developing vegetable crops with enhanced stress-related factors. However, the tolerance phenotypes are generally involved in quantitative traits with interconnecting multiple factors. Moreover, diverse molecular, physiological, and/or biochemical changes, including gene expression and regulation, protein modification, osmotic stress, oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes and chemicals, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concomitantly influence plant acclimation. Therefore, a solid understanding of the molecular and physiology mechanism ranging from stress sensing to cellular responses is essential to improve the stress tolerance of vegetable crops during plant growth and development. This Special Issue of Plants will explore recent advances and progress in molecular, physiological, and cellular mechanisms that regulate vegetable growth and development in response to different stressful conditions. We welcome original research articles, communications, perspectives, opinions, and reviews related to the topic. 

Dr. Kwanuk Lee
Dr. Won-Byoung Chae
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 11637 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Root Transcriptomes against Clubroot Disease Pathogens in a Resistant Chinese Cabbage Cultivar (Brassica rapa cv. ‘Akimeki’)
by Eun-Seok Oh, Hyeonseon Park, Kwanuk Lee, Donghwan Shim and Man-Ho Oh
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2167; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152167 - 5 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 982
Abstract
Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is one of the diseases that causes major economic losses in cruciferous crops worldwide. Although prevention strategies, including soil pH adjustment and crop rotation, have been used, the disease’s long persistence and devastating impact continuously remain in [...] Read more.
Clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is one of the diseases that causes major economic losses in cruciferous crops worldwide. Although prevention strategies, including soil pH adjustment and crop rotation, have been used, the disease’s long persistence and devastating impact continuously remain in the soil. CR varieties were developed for clubroot-resistant (CR) Chinese cabbage, and ‘Akimeki’ is one of the clubroot disease-resistant cultivars. However, recent studies have reported susceptibility to several Korean pathotypes in Akimeki and the destruction of the resistance to P. brassicae in many Brassica species against CR varieties, requiring the understanding of more fine-tuned plant signaling by fungal pathogens. In this study, we focused on the early molecular responses of Akimeki during infection with two P. brassicae strains, Seosan (SS) and Hoengseong2 (HS2), using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Among a total of 2358 DEGs, 2037 DEGs were differentially expressed following SS and HS2 infection. Gene ontology (GO) showed that 1524 and 513 genes were up-regulated following SS and HS2 inoculations, respectively. Notably, the genes of defense response and jasmonic acid regulations were enriched in the SS inoculation condition, and the genes of water transport and light intensity response were enriched in the HS2 inoculation condition. Moreover, KEGG pathways revealed that the gene expression set were related to pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) mechanisms. The results will provide valuable information for developing CR cultivars in Brassica plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions)
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34 pages, 10912 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Salt Stress on the Morphological and Some Biochemical Characteristics of Solanum lycopersicum L. Plants
by Mostafa Ahmed, Diaa Attia Marrez, Roquia Rizk, Mostafa Zedan, Donia Abdul-Hamid, Kincső Decsi, Gergő Péter Kovács and Zoltán Tóth
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1418; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101418 - 20 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
Salinity reduces crop yields and quality, causing global economic losses. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) improve plant physiological and metabolic processes and abiotic stress resistance. This study examined the effects of foliar ZnO-NPs at 75 and 150 mg/L on tomato Kecskeméti 549 plants to [...] Read more.
Salinity reduces crop yields and quality, causing global economic losses. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) improve plant physiological and metabolic processes and abiotic stress resistance. This study examined the effects of foliar ZnO-NPs at 75 and 150 mg/L on tomato Kecskeméti 549 plants to alleviate salt stress caused by 150 mM NaCl. The precipitation procedure produced ZnO-NPs that were characterized using UV-VIS, TEM, STEM, DLS, EDAX, Zeta potential, and FTIR. The study assessed TPCs, TFCs, total hydrolyzable sugars, total free amino acids, protein, proline, H2O2, and MDA along with plant height, stem width, leaf area, and SPAD values. The polyphenolic burden was also measured by HPLC. With salt stress, plant growth and chlorophyll content decreased significantly. The growth and development of tomato plants changed by applying the ZnO-NPs. Dosages of ZnO-NPs had a significant effect across treatments. ZnO-NPs also increased chlorophyll, reduced stress markers, and released phenolic chemicals and proteins in the leaves of tomatoes. ZnO-NPs reduce salt stress by promoting the uptake of minerals. ZnO-NPs had beneficial effects on tomato plants when subjected to salt stress, making them an alternate technique to boost resilience in saline soils or low-quality irrigation water. This study examined how foliar application of chemically synthesized ZnO-NPs to the leaves affected biochemistry, morphology, and phenolic compound synthesis with and without NaCl. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions)
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17 pages, 3653 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Synergistic Effects of Phosphorus Fertilization and Organic Amendments on Red Pepper Growth, Productivity and Physio-Biochemical Response under Saline Water Irrigation and Climate-Arid Stresses
by Hamza Bouras, Krishna Prasad Devkota, Achraf Mamassi, Aicha Loudari, Redouane Choukr-Allah and Moussa El-Jarroudi
Plants 2024, 13(9), 1209; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13091209 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1462
Abstract
In regions facing water scarcity and soil salinity, mitigating these abiotic stresses is paramount for sustaining crop production. This study aimed to unravel the synergistic effects of organic matter and phosphorus management in reducing the adverse effect of saline water for irrigation on [...] Read more.
In regions facing water scarcity and soil salinity, mitigating these abiotic stresses is paramount for sustaining crop production. This study aimed to unravel the synergistic effects of organic matter and phosphorus management in reducing the adverse effect of saline water for irrigation on red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) production, fruit quality, plant physiology, and stress tolerance indicators. The study was carried out in the arid Tadla region of Morocco and involved two key experiments: (i) a field experiment during the 2019 growing season, where red pepper plants were subjected to varying phosphorus fertilizer rates (120, 140, and 170 kg of P2O5.ha−1) and saline water irrigation levels (0.7; 1.5; 3; and 5 dS.m−1); and (ii) a controlled pot experiment in 2021 for examining the interaction of saline water irrigation levels (EC values of 0.7, 2, 5, and 9 dS.m−1), phosphorus rates (30, 36, and 42 kg of P2O5.ha−1), and the amount of organic matter (4, 8, 12, and 16 t.ha−1). The field study highlighted that saline irrigation significantly affected red pepper yields and fruit size, although phosphorus fertilization helped enhance productivity. Additionally, biochemical markers of stress tolerance, such as proline and glycine betaine, along with stomatal conductance, were impacted by increasing salinity levels. The pot experiment showed that combining organic amendments and phosphorus improved soil properties and stimulated red pepper growth and root weight across all salinity levels. The integration of phosphorus fertilization and organic amendments proved instrumental for counteracting salinity-induced constraints on red pepper growth and yield. Nonetheless, caution is necessary as high salinity can still negatively impact red pepper productivity, necessitating the establishment of an irrigation water salinity threshold, set at 5 dS.m−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions)
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17 pages, 5545 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Characterization of Tomato FAD Gene Family and Expression Analysis under Abiotic Stresses
by Rui Xi, Huifang Liu, Yijia Chen, Hongmei Zhuang, Hongwei Han, Hao Wang, Qiang Wang and Ning Li
Plants 2023, 12(22), 3818; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12223818 - 10 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1725
Abstract
The fatty acid desaturase (FAD) gene family plays a crucial regulatory role in the resistance process of plant biomembranes. To understand the role of FADs in tomato growth and development, this study identified and analyzed the tomato FAD gene family based on bioinformatics [...] Read more.
The fatty acid desaturase (FAD) gene family plays a crucial regulatory role in the resistance process of plant biomembranes. To understand the role of FADs in tomato growth and development, this study identified and analyzed the tomato FAD gene family based on bioinformatics analysis methods. In this study, 26 SlFADs were unevenly distributed on 10 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the SlFAD gene family was divided into six branches, and the exon–intron composition and conserved motifs of SlFADs clustered in the same branch were quite conservative. Several hormone and stress response elements in the SlFAD promoter suggest that the expression of SlFAD members is subject to complex regulation; the construction of a tomato FAD protein interaction network found that SlFAD proteins have apparent synergistic effects with SPA and GPAT proteins. qRT-PCR verification results show that SlFAD participates in the expression of tomato root, stem, and leaf tissues; SlFAD8 is mainly highly expressed in leaves; SlFAD9 plays a vital role in response to salt stress; and SlFAB5 regulates all stages of fruit development under the action of exogenous hormones. In summary, this study provides a basis for a systematic understanding of the SlFAD gene family. It provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the functional characteristics of tomato SlFAD genes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions)
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Review

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22 pages, 1777 KiB  
Review
Recent Insights into the Physio-Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms of Low Temperature Stress in Tomato
by Kwanuk Lee and Hunseung Kang
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2715; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192715 - 28 Sep 2024
Viewed by 837
Abstract
Climate change has emerged as a crucial global issue that significantly threatens the survival of plants. In particular, low temperature (LT) is one of the critical environmental factors that influence plant morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes during both the vegetative and reproductive growth [...] Read more.
Climate change has emerged as a crucial global issue that significantly threatens the survival of plants. In particular, low temperature (LT) is one of the critical environmental factors that influence plant morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes during both the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. LT, including abrupt drops in temperature, as well as winter conditions, can cause detrimental effects on the growth and development of tomato plants, ranging from sowing, transplanting, truss appearance, flowering, fertilization, flowering, fruit ripening, and yields. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the comprehensive mechanisms underlying the adaptation and acclimation of tomato plants to LT, from the morphological changes to the molecular levels. In this review, we discuss the previous and current knowledge of morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes, which contain vegetative and reproductive parameters involving the leaf length (LL), plant height (PH) stem diameter (SD), fruit set (FS), fruit ripening (FS), and fruit yield (FY), as well as photosynthetic parameters, cell membrane stability, osmolytes, and ROS homeostasis via antioxidants scavenging systems during LT stress in tomato plants. Moreover, we highlight recent advances in the understanding of molecular mechanisms, including LT perception, signaling transduction, gene regulation, and fruit ripening and epigenetic regulation. The comprehensive understanding of LT response provides a solid basis to develop the LT-resistant varieties for sustainable tomato production under the ever-changing temperature fluctuations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions)
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17 pages, 633 KiB  
Review
Effects of Jasmonic Acid on Stress Response and Quality Formation in Vegetable Crops and Their Underlying Molecular Mechanisms
by Jiaqi Wu, Yangyang Chen, Yujie Xu, Yahong An, Zhenzhu Hu, Aisheng Xiong and Guanglong Wang
Plants 2024, 13(11), 1557; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13111557 - 4 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1838
Abstract
The plant hormone jasmonic acid plays an important role in plant growth and development, participating in many physiological processes, such as plant disease resistance, stress resistance, organ development, root growth, and flowering. With the improvement in living standards, people have higher requirements regarding [...] Read more.
The plant hormone jasmonic acid plays an important role in plant growth and development, participating in many physiological processes, such as plant disease resistance, stress resistance, organ development, root growth, and flowering. With the improvement in living standards, people have higher requirements regarding the quality of vegetables. However, during the growth process of vegetables, they are often attacked by pests and diseases and undergo abiotic stresses, resulting in their growth restriction and decreases in their yield and quality. Therefore, people have found many ways to regulate the growth and quality of vegetable crops. In recent years, in addition to the role that JA plays in stress response and resistance, it has been found to have a regulatory effect on crop quality. Therefore, this study aims to review the jasmonic acid accumulation patterns during various physiological processes and its potential role in vegetable development and quality formation, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. The information provided in this manuscript sheds new light on the improvements in vegetable yield and quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Physiological Mechanisms Regulating Vegetable Crops Growth under Stressful Conditions)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

1. Use of biostimulants containing elicitors in mitigating salinity stress effects in greenhouse tomato and cucumber

Ioannis Karapanos1*, Nikolina Vidalis1, Ilias Katsas1, Nikolaos Plakas1, Marianna Detoraki1, Sotiria Maroula2, Lefteris Melitzanas2, Alexios Alexopoulos3 and Spyridon A. Petropoulos4*

  • Laboratory of Vegetable Production, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
  • Compo Expert Hellas S.A., 54, Egialias str., 15125, Athens, Greece

3         Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Agriculture, University of the Peloponnese, Antikalamos, 24100 Kalamata, Greece

4         Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece

*         Correspondence: [email protected], [email protected]

 

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