Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.5
4.0
Journals
Plants
Special Issues
Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response
share announcement

Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2021) | Viewed by 34026

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Anna Kulik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5A, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: plant responses to abiotic environmental factors; SnRK2; protein kinases; ROS/RNS signaling and homeostasis; protein phosphorylation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among the protein kinases involved in stress signal transduction in plants, enzymes belonging to many distinct families, like SnRKs (SNF1-Related Protein Kinases), MAPKs (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases), CDPKs (Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases), RLKs (Receptor-Like Kinases), WNKs (With-No-Lysine (K) Kinases), CKs (Casein Kinases), among others, have been a subject of high interest to researchers over the years.  All of them are the crucial elements of signaling pathways induced by a number of environmental stresses. This Special Issue of Plants will be devoted to a wide range of research on the functions that protein kinases fulfil in the plant response to unfavorable environmental conditions of abiotic and biotic nature. The special but not exclusive emphasis will be placed on the function of SnRK2 kinases.

SnRK2 kinases are commonly found and are unique for all plants. Their basic feature is the modulation of the rapid cellular response to water deficit by acting as key components in abscisic acid-dependent and -independent signaling pathways. Since water regime and salinity are among the most important environmental factors limiting the natural vegetation of plants and their productivity, thus affecting the agricultural yield, the research on SnRK2s remains not only interesting but critical in light of the contemporary problems of global climate change and water availability. Besides their role in the hyperosmotic stress signaling, SnRK2s are involved in the plant response to cold and heavy metal ions, the regulation of reactive oxygen species homeostasis, nitric oxide-mediated signaling, the response to sulfur and potassium deprivation, and the response to biotic factors. They control a number of physiological processes, including abscisic acid-dependent stomatal movements, seed development and germination, root growth and architecture, flowering time, fruit development and ripening rate. The most recent data point to the role of SnRK2s in the regulation of specific transcription factors, miRNA biogenesis, and mRNA decapping processes, as molecular mechanisms underlying the global transcriptional and posttranscriptional control of plant growth and stress response. The research on upstream kinases, secondary signaling molecules, and the negative regulators of SnRK2 signaling pathways is very intensive but still far from being complete.

Recent studies have led us to conclude that the more we learn about protein kinases’ signaling pathways, the more questions arise about the new and fascinating roles played by these enzymes in plant organisms. Therefore, let us join through this Plants Special Issue to share our knowledge and experience. In this Special Issue, original research papers, opinions, reviews, modeling approaches, and methods concerning the broad spectrum of plant protein kinases and stress response research are very welcome (including kinases biochemistry, activity control, function, evolution, interactions of plants with abiotic and biotic environmental factors, developmental biology, high-throughput data analyses, kinases interacting partners, substrates, and the identification of new protein kinases in crop and native species).

Dr. Anna Kulik
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant response to environmental stimuli
  • plant tolerance to stress
  • SnRK2
  • protein kinase signaling pathways
  • protein phosphorylation
  • osmotic stress
  • seed germination
  • plant development

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 4569 KiB  
Article
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Expression Profiling Revealed Its Role in Regulating Stress Responses in Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
by Madiha Zaynab, Athar Hussain, Yasir Sharif, Mahpara Fatima, Mateen Sajid, Nazia Rehman, Xuewei Yang, Khalid Ali Khan, Hamed A. Ghramh and Shuangfei Li
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1371; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071371 - 5 Jul 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3780
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are the universal signal transduction networks that regulate cell growth and development, hormone signaling, and other environmental stresses. However, their essential contribution to plant tolerance is very little known in the potato (Solanum tuberosum) plant. The [...] Read more.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are the universal signal transduction networks that regulate cell growth and development, hormone signaling, and other environmental stresses. However, their essential contribution to plant tolerance is very little known in the potato (Solanum tuberosum) plant. The current study carried out a genome-wide study of StMAPK and provided a deep insight using bioinformatics tools. In addition, the relative expression of StMAPKs was also assessed in different plant tissues. The similarity search results identified a total of 22 StMAPK genes in the potato genome. The sequence alignment also showed conserved motif TEY/TDY in most StMAPKs with conserved docking LHDXXEP sites. The phylogenetic analysis divided all 22 StMAPK genes into five groups, i.e., A, B, C, D, and E, showing some common structural motifs. In addition, most of the StMAPKs were found in a cluster form at the terminal of chromosomes. The promoter analysis predicted several stress-responsive Cis-acting regulatory elements in StMAPK genes. Gene duplication under selection pressure also indicated several purifying and positive selections in StMAPK genes. In potato, StMAPK2, StMAPK6, and StMAPK19 showed a high expression in response to heat stress. Under ABA and IAA treatment, the expression of the total 20 StMAPK genes revealed that ABA and IAA played an essential role in this defense process. The expression profiling and real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR) exhibited their high expression in roots and stems compared to leaves. These results deliver primary data for functional analysis and provide reference data for other important crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 6365 KiB  
Article
Genomic Characterization and Expression Analysis of the SnRK Family Genes in Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (Orchidaceae)
by Yue Wang and Aizhong Liu
Plants 2021, 10(3), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030479 - 3 Mar 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4021
Abstract
Sucrose non-fermenting1-related protein kinases (SnRKs) are a type of Ser/Thr protein kinases, and they play an important role in plant life, especially in metabolism and responses to environmental stresses. However, there is limited information on SnRK genes in Dendrobium officinale. In the [...] Read more.
Sucrose non-fermenting1-related protein kinases (SnRKs) are a type of Ser/Thr protein kinases, and they play an important role in plant life, especially in metabolism and responses to environmental stresses. However, there is limited information on SnRK genes in Dendrobium officinale. In the present research, a total of 36 DoSnRK genes were identified based on genomic data. These DoSnRKs could be grouped into three subfamilies, including 1 member of DoSnRK1, 7 of DoSnRK2, and 28 of DoSnRK3. The gene structure analysis of DoSnRK genes showed that 17 members had no introns, while 16 members contained six or more introns. The conserved domains and motifs were found in the same subfamily. The various cis-elements present in the promoter regions showed that DoSnRK genes could respond to stresses and hormones. Furthermore, the expression patterns of DoSnRK genes in eight tissues were investigated according to RNA sequencing data, indicating that multiple DoSnRK genes were ubiquitously expressed in these tissues. The transcript levels of DoSnRK genes after drought, MeJA, and ABA treatments were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and showed that most DoSnRK genes could respond to these stresses. Therefore, genomic characterization and expression analyses provide valuable information on DoSnRK genes for further understanding the functions of SnRKs in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

27 pages, 2072 KiB  
Review
Plant CDKs—Driving the Cell Cycle through Climate Change
by Aline Köhn Carneiro, Patrícia da Fonseca Montessoro, Adriana Flores Fusaro, Bruna Gino Araújo and Adriana Silva Hemerly
Plants 2021, 10(9), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091804 - 30 Aug 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6950
Abstract
In a growing population, producing enough food has become a challenge in the face of the dramatic increase in climate change. Plants, during their evolution as sessile organisms, developed countless mechanisms to better adapt to the environment and its fluctuations. One important way [...] Read more.
In a growing population, producing enough food has become a challenge in the face of the dramatic increase in climate change. Plants, during their evolution as sessile organisms, developed countless mechanisms to better adapt to the environment and its fluctuations. One important way is through the plasticity of their body and their forms, which are modulated during plant growth by accurate control of cell divisions. A family of serine/threonine kinases called cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) is a key regulator of cell divisions by controlling cell cycle progression. In this review, we compile information on the primary response of plants in the regulation of the cell cycle in response to environmental stresses and show how the cell cycle proteins (mainly the cyclin-dependent kinases) involved in this regulation can act as components of environmental response signaling cascades, triggering adaptive responses to drive the cycle through climate fluctuations. Understanding the roles of CDKs and their regulators in the face of adversity may be crucial to meeting the challenge of increasing agricultural productivity in a new climate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1209 KiB  
Review
Growth Promotion or Osmotic Stress Response: How SNF1-Related Protein Kinase 2 (SnRK2) Kinases Are Activated and Manage Intracellular Signaling in Plants
by Yoshiaki Kamiyama, Sotaro Katagiri and Taishi Umezawa
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1443; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071443 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 6357
Abstract
Reversible phosphorylation is a major mechanism for regulating protein function and controls a wide range of cellular functions including responses to external stimuli. The plant-specific SNF1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s) function as central regulators of plant growth and development, as well as tolerance [...] Read more.
Reversible phosphorylation is a major mechanism for regulating protein function and controls a wide range of cellular functions including responses to external stimuli. The plant-specific SNF1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s) function as central regulators of plant growth and development, as well as tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. Although the activity of SnRK2s is tightly regulated in a phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent manner, recent investigations have revealed that SnRK2s can be activated by group B Raf-like protein kinases independently of ABA. Furthermore, evidence is accumulating that SnRK2s modulate plant growth through regulation of target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling. Here, we summarize recent advances in knowledge of how SnRK2s mediate plant growth and osmotic stress signaling and discuss future challenges in this research field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 776 KiB  
Review
Cellular Phosphorylation Signaling and Gene Expression in Drought Stress Responses: ABA-Dependent and ABA-Independent Regulatory Systems
by Fumiyuki Soma, Fuminori Takahashi, Kazuko Yamaguchi-Shinozaki and Kazuo Shinozaki
Plants 2021, 10(4), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040756 - 13 Apr 2021
Cited by 83 | Viewed by 11591
Abstract
Drought is a severe and complex abiotic stress that negatively affects plant growth and crop yields. Numerous genes with various functions are induced in response to drought stress to acquire drought stress tolerance. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates mainly in the leaves [...] Read more.
Drought is a severe and complex abiotic stress that negatively affects plant growth and crop yields. Numerous genes with various functions are induced in response to drought stress to acquire drought stress tolerance. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) accumulates mainly in the leaves in response to drought stress and then activates subclass III SNF1-related protein kinases 2 (SnRK2s), which are key phosphoregulators of ABA signaling. ABA mediates a wide variety of gene expression processes through stress-responsive transcription factors, including ABA-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEINS (AREBs)/ABRE-BINDING FACTORS (ABFs) and several other transcription factors. Seed plants have another type of SnRK2s, ABA-unresponsive subclass I SnRK2s, that mediates the stability of gene expression through the mRNA decay pathway and plant growth under drought stress in an ABA-independent manner. Recent research has elucidated the upstream regulators of SnRK2s, RAF-like protein kinases, involved in early responses to drought stress. ABA-independent transcriptional regulatory systems and ABA-responsive regulation function in drought-responsive gene expression. DEHYDRATION RESPONSIVE ELEMENT (DRE) is an important cis-acting element in ABA-independent transcription, whereas ABA-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT (ABRE) cis-acting element functions in ABA-responsive transcription. In this review article, we summarize recent advances in research on cellular and molecular drought stress responses and focus on phosphorylation signaling and transcription networks in Arabidopsis and crops. We also highlight gene networks of transcriptional regulation through two major regulatory pathways, ABA-dependent and ABA-independent pathways, that ABA-responsive subclass III SnRK2s and ABA-unresponsive subclass I SnRK2s mediate, respectively. We also discuss crosstalk in these regulatory systems under drought stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Protein Kinases and Plant Stress Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop