[go: up one dir, main page]
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.2
3.3
Journals
Agronomy
Special Issues
New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Stresses
share announcement

New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Stresses

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 4116

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Iwona Sadura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Polish Academy of Sciences, The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Niezapominajek 21, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
Interests: brassinosteroids; abiotic stress; temperature stress; cell membranes
Dr. Maciej Grzesiak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
F. Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezpominajek 21, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
Interests: abiotic stresses; physiological indexes of plant susceptibility to stress factors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are exposed to many environmental factors, both biotic (e.g., pathogen infection) and abiotic (e.g., drought, heavy metals, high soil salinity, changes in temperature and light, and UV radiation). These various environmental stresses lead to the activation of plant defense mechanisms, which include the accumulation of low-molecular-weight metabolites, synthesis of special proteins, detoxification mechanisms and changes in phytohormone levels, among others. These processes are important factors in the adaptation of plants to a changing environment, which is also associated with increased chances for their survival and reproduction.

This Special Issue will be focused on “New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Environmetal Stresses”. We are open to novel research papers, reviews and opinion articles describing recent advances in plants’ defense mechanisms against environmental stresses, both biotic and abiotic, such as pathogen infection, drought, extreme temperatures, high salinity of soil, UV radiation, etc.

Dr. Iwona Sadura
Dr. Maciej Grzesiak
Guest Editors

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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • environmental stress
  • biotic stress
  • abiotic stress
  • stress tolerance
  • stress responses
  • plant breeding
  • plants’ defense mechanisms

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 (4 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

17 pages, 8090 KiB  
Article
Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals the Molecular Mechanisms of the Glycolysis and TCA Cycle Pathways in Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. under UV-B Stress
by Wang Yu, Fushuai Gong, Kun Cao, Xiaofu Zhou and Hongwei Xu
Agronomy 2024, 14(9), 1996; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14091996 - 2 Sep 2024
Viewed by 504
Abstract
UV-B radiation is becoming a bigger threat to plants as a result of the ozone layer’s depletion. As an alpine plant, Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) may grow regularly under UV-B radiation throughout its lengthy acclimatization period, although the mechanism of [...] Read more.
UV-B radiation is becoming a bigger threat to plants as a result of the ozone layer’s depletion. As an alpine plant, Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) may grow regularly under UV-B radiation throughout its lengthy acclimatization period, although the mechanism of acclimatization is still poorly understood. The current investigation uncovered a number of adaptation strategies that R. chrysanthum has developed in reaction to UV-B rays. UV-B radiation impeded photosynthesis and damaged the photosystem, according to OJIP testing. Through transcriptomics and proteomics analyses, this study found that the differential proteins and differential genes of R. chrysanthum were significantly enriched in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle pathways after UV-B treatment. The metabolomics results showed that a total of eight differential metabolites were detected in the glycolytic and TCA cycle pathways, and the changes in the expression of these metabolites reflected the final outcome of gene regulation in the glycolytic and TCA cycle pathways. The combined experimental results demonstrated that R. chrysanthum’s photosynthetic system was impacted by UV-B stress and, concurrently, the plant activated an adaptation mechanism in response to the stress. To maintain its energy supply for growth, R. chrysanthum adapts to UV-B stress by adjusting the expression of the relevant proteins, genes, and metabolites in the glycolytic and TCA cycling pathways. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the changes in the carbon metabolism of R. chrysanthum under UV-B stress and its mechanisms for UV-B resistance, and provides an important theoretical basis for the study of enhancing plant resistance to stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Stresses)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Changes in JIP assay parameters of <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> under UV-B stress. CG group: UV-B treatment; BG group: PAR treatment; Fv/Fm: maximum photochemical efficiency of PS II; Fv/Fo: potential photochemical efficiency); TRo/RC: energy captured per unit in reaction center; ABS/RC: energy absorbed per unit in reaction center; PI<sub>ABS</sub>: photosynthetic performance index based on absorbed light energy; φEO: quantum yield of absorbed energy for electron transfer); ψo: quantum yield of captured light energy for electron transfer downstream of QA<sup>−</sup>); ETo/RC: initial electron transfer photon flux per reaction center; DIo/RC: Heat dissipation per unit in reaction center; φDO: heat dissipation quantum yield. The height of the bar graph represents the mean of three biological replicates performed (<span class="html-italic">n</span> = 3), and the error bars represent SD (standard deviation) “*” represents significant changes (<span class="html-italic">t</span>-test <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05); “ns” stands for not significant.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The DEGs of <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> in the glycolysis and TCA cycling pathways. (<b>A</b>) The number of DEGs in <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> under UV-B stress. (<b>B</b>) KEGG pathway classification analysis of the pathways of the DEGs in CG vs. BG. (<b>C</b>) Cluster heat map of the DEGs involved in the citrate cycle. (<b>D</b>) Cluster heat map of the DEGs involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. The horizontal coordinates are the expression results for the different comparison groups, and the vertical coordinates indicate the enzymes corresponding to the relevant genes. The expression level of the DEGs is reflected by color; the bluer the color, the lower the expression level, and the redder the color, the higher the expression level.</p> Full article ">Figure 2 Cont.
<p>The DEGs of <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> in the glycolysis and TCA cycling pathways. (<b>A</b>) The number of DEGs in <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> under UV-B stress. (<b>B</b>) KEGG pathway classification analysis of the pathways of the DEGs in CG vs. BG. (<b>C</b>) Cluster heat map of the DEGs involved in the citrate cycle. (<b>D</b>) Cluster heat map of the DEGs involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. The horizontal coordinates are the expression results for the different comparison groups, and the vertical coordinates indicate the enzymes corresponding to the relevant genes. The expression level of the DEGs is reflected by color; the bluer the color, the lower the expression level, and the redder the color, the higher the expression level.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>DEPs of <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> under UV-B stress. (<b>A</b>) Number of DEPs in <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> under UV-B stress. (<b>B</b>) GO enrichment analysis of DEPs in biological processes (BPs). (<b>C</b>) GO enrichment analysis of DEPs in cellular components (CCs). (<b>D</b>) GO enrichment analysis of DEPs in molecular functions (MFs).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Heatmaps of glycolysis and citrate cycle metabolism-related pathways among the DEPs in <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span> in CG vs. BG. The expression levels of the relevant proteins are represented by a clustered heat map. The three neighboring boxes on the left half of the clustering heat map represent the results of three replicate experiments on the CG group, and the three neighboring boxes on the right half represent the results of three replicate experiments on the BG group. The expression level of the proteins is reflected by color; the bluer the color, the lower the expression level, and the redder the color, the higher the expression level.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Effect of UV-B on metabolism in glycolysis and TCA cycle in <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span>. Effect of UV-B under CG and BG conditions on expression of metabolites in glycolysis and TCA cycle. Red indicates an increase in metabolite content, while green indicates a decrease in metabolite content.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Inhibition of photosynthesis under UV-B stress and acetylation-modified glycolysis and TCA cycle pathways in <span class="html-italic">R. chrysanthum</span>. PK: pyruvate kinase; ACO: aconitate hydratase; ACLB: ATP citrate (pro-S)-lyase; IDH: isocitrate dehydrogenase; SDH: succinate dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) flavoprotein subunit; FUM: fumarate hydratase; MDH: malate dehydrogenase; pgm: phosphoglucom.</p> Full article ">
17 pages, 4926 KiB  
Article
Genomic Identification of Callose Synthase (CalS) Gene Family in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Comparative In Silico Expression Analysis under Aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) Infestation
by Kunliang Zou, Yang Liu, Tonghan Wang, Minghui Guan, Xiaofei Li, Jieqin Li, Haibing Yu, Degong Wu and Junli Du
Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1393; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071393 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 688
Abstract
Callose is widely present in higher plants and plays a significant role in plant growth, development, and response to various stresses. Although numerous studies have highlighted the importance of the callose synthase (CalS) genes, their role in the resistance of sorghum [...] Read more.
Callose is widely present in higher plants and plays a significant role in plant growth, development, and response to various stresses. Although numerous studies have highlighted the importance of the callose synthase (CalS) genes, their role in the resistance of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) to aphids (Melanaphis sacchari) remains limitedly understood. This study identified 11 sorghum callose synthase genes (SbCalS), unevenly distributed across four chromosomes of sorghum. All SbCalS proteins contain glucan synthase and Fks1 domains, with segmental duplication playing a major role in gene diversification. Cis-element prediction revealed the presence of numerous stress-responsive elements, indicating that this gene family is primarily involved in stress resistance. Using published RNA-seq data, we discovered the differential expression of the SbCalS5 gene between resistant and susceptible sorghum varieties. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis confirmed the relative expression levels of all SbCalS members under aphid stress. To further verify the role of callose in sorghum, we measured the callose content in both resistant and susceptible sorghum varieties. The results indicated that callose plays a critical role in aphid resistance in sorghum, particularly the SbCalS5 gene. This study provides a reference for further investigation into the role of callose synthase genes in sorghum aphid resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Stresses)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Regulatory pathways of callose deposition in plants infected by aphids. Solid lines indicate confirmed regulatory pathways, dashed lines indicate possible regulatory pathways, and bidirectional arrows indicate reciprocal regulation.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Conservation domain motif binding diagram of the <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span> gene family.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Chromosomal mapping of <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span> gene and intraspecific collinearity analysis of sorghum. The innermost circle represents chromosome gene density. Higher gene density is indicated by the color orange and taller peaks, while lower gene density is indicated by the color blue and shorter peaks.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Gene structure of <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span>. Exons are represented by yellow boxes, introns by black lines, and UTR regions by green boxes.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>(<b>A</b>) Cis-acting elements of the <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span> gene family; (<b>B</b>) Heat map of cis-acting elements of the <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span> gene family. Orange indicates a high number of cis-regulatory element enrichments, while blue indicates a low number.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Evolutionary tree of <span class="html-italic">CalS</span> genes in sorghum, maize, and rice. Based on homology, they are classified into three subclades: A, B, and C, in ascending order.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>The homology of <span class="html-italic">CalS</span> genes among sorghum, maize, and rice is depicted, with blue lines indicating homologous <span class="html-italic">CalS</span> genes across different species and gray lines representing the synteny between other genes across these species.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Differential expression of the <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span> gene family transcriptome under aphid infestation. RTx430 served as the reference sorghum, SC265 served as the resistant sorghum, and SC1345 served as the susceptible sorghum. Sampling occurred at early time points (6 h, 24 h, and 48 h) and a late time point (7 d) following aphid infestation, with samples collected from non-infested plants at 0 h and 7 d serving as controls. Genes demonstrating high expression levels were indicated in orange, while those displaying low expression levels were marked in blue.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Expression patterns of the <span class="html-italic">SbCalS</span> gene family following aphid infestation. The infestation times were set at four early time points (0, 6, 24, and 48 h post-infestation), with 0 h serving as the early control, and one late time point at 7 days post-infestation, with uninfested plants at 7 days serving as the control. Significant differences are denoted by lowercase letters (<span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.05).</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Differences in the number of aphids and the content of callose in resistant sorghum. Panel (<b>A</b>) shows the difference in the number of aphids 7 days post-infestation (** <span class="html-italic">p</span> &lt; 0.01). Panel (<b>B</b>) displays the differences in callose content at four early time points (0, 6, 24, and 48 h) and one late time point (7 days) post-infestation, with the dashed line indicating the control group.</p> Full article ">

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 995 KiB  
Review
Are Heat Shock Proteins Important in Low-Temperature-Stressed Plants? A Minireview
by Iwona Sadura and Anna Janeczko
Agronomy 2024, 14(6), 1296; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14061296 - 15 Jun 2024
Viewed by 997
Abstract
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are mainly known to play important roles in plants against high-temperature (HT) stress. Their main function is to act as molecular chaperones for other proteins. It has also been proven that HSPs have a protective effect during other environmental [...] Read more.
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are mainly known to play important roles in plants against high-temperature (HT) stress. Their main function is to act as molecular chaperones for other proteins. It has also been proven that HSPs have a protective effect during other environmental stresses including low temperature (LT). To the best of our knowledge, the expression and role of HSPs in plants that have been exposed to LT have not yet been sufficiently reviewed. The aims of this minireview were (1) to briefly describe the origin, classification, structure, localisation and functions of HSPs, (2) to present the current knowledge about the changes in the accumulation of HSPs in plants that have been exposed to LT, (3) to discuss some of the molecular changes that occur during LT action and that lead to the accumulation of HSPs in plants and (4) to discuss the potential role of HSPs in acquiring tolerance to cold and frost in plants including economically important crop species. Some directions of research on the role of HSPs in plants growing in LT conditions are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Stresses)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Relative percentage changes in the <span class="html-italic">HSP70</span> transcript accumulation (<b>A</b>) and HSP70 protein accumulation in the cell membrane fraction (<b>B</b>) in the barley plants that had been acclimated at 5 °C relative to the plants that had been grown at 20 °C. The results that were obtained for the plants that had been grown at 20 °C were considered to be 100% and are indicated by the horizontal black line. The original data of HSP70 expression are available in Sadura et al. [<a href="#B106-agronomy-14-01296" class="html-bibr">106</a>]. Bowman—a reference cultivar for two NILs: BW084—plants with disturbances in the early stage of the BR biosynthetic pathway and BW312—plants with a BRI1 receptor defect. Delisa—the reference cultivar for the 522DK mutant with disturbances in the late stage of the BR biosynthesis pathway.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>The proposed model of the molecular mechanism of HSPs biosynthesis in plants exposed to LT stress (based on [<a href="#B8-agronomy-14-01296" class="html-bibr">8</a>,<a href="#B22-agronomy-14-01296" class="html-bibr">22</a>,<a href="#B54-agronomy-14-01296" class="html-bibr">54</a>,<a href="#B108-agronomy-14-01296" class="html-bibr">108</a>]). Briefly, LT is a signal that is received in the cell membrane and transmitted to the cytoplasm, where heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are activated. In the nucleus, HSFs are associated with HSEs (Heat Shock Elements). <span class="html-italic">HSPs</span> gene expression is then activated, which may contribute to HSPs accumulation.</p> Full article ">
17 pages, 1238 KiB  
Review
Physiological and Biochemical Background of Deacclimation in Plants, with Special Attention Being Paid to Crops: A Minireview
by Julia Stachurska and Anna Janeczko
Agronomy 2024, 14(3), 419; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14030419 - 21 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1177
Abstract
Global climate change, which is connected to global warming and changes in weather patterns, affects various parts of the environment, including the growth/development of plants. Generally, a number of plant species are capable of acquiring tolerance to frost after exposure to cold (in [...] Read more.
Global climate change, which is connected to global warming and changes in weather patterns, affects various parts of the environment, including the growth/development of plants. Generally, a number of plant species are capable of acquiring tolerance to frost after exposure to cold (in the cold-acclimation/cold-hardening process). In the last few decades, there have been more and more frequent periods of higher temperatures—warm periods that, e.g., break down the process of cold acclimation. This generates deacclimation, which could stimulate growth and lower frost tolerance in plants. Generally, deacclimation causes the reversal of changes induced by cold acclimation (i.e., in concentration of sugars, accumulation of protective proteins, or hormonal homeostasis). Unlike cold acclimation, the phenomenon of deacclimation has been less studied. The aim of this article was (1) to briefly describe the problem of deacclimation, with more attention being paid to its significance for economically important winter crop species, (2) to review and characterize the physiological-biochemical changes that are induced in plants by deacclimation, and (3) to discuss the possibilities of detecting deacclimation earlier in order to counteract its effects on crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Plants’ Defense Mechanisms against Stresses)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Simplified growth cycle of winter oilseed rape. The times of the year for particular stages of development are characteristic, for example, for regions of central/eastern EU. Panel (<b>A</b>) shows the approximated time frames for the period during which cold acclimation occurs and the next period of growth of plants at a low temperature (including frost episodes). Panel (<b>B</b>) shows exemplary occurrences of warm breaks (dark pink rectangle) that deacclimate plants, thus increasing the risk of frost injuries in the event of a sudden frost (red arrows).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Changes in the frost tolerance of the non-acclimated, cold-acclimated, and deacclimated winter oilseed rape cultivar Rokas. Frost tests were performed at temperatures ranging between −1 °C and −16 °C. The estimation of frost injuries was based on observations of the regrowth of plants (previously exposed to frost) after growing for two weeks at 12 °C (for detailed data, see [<a href="#B13-agronomy-14-00419" class="html-bibr">13</a>]). Photographs—J. Stachurska.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Changes of content of brassinosteroid (28-homocastasterone) in the crowns of winter wheat cultivar Grana in NA, CA, and DA plants. NA—control plants (non-acclimated plants) growing at 20 °C (11 days), CA—cold-acclimated plants (10, 23, 43 days at 5 °C), DA—deacclimated plants (after cold acclimation exposed to 20 °C (7 days)). Data represent mean values ± SE (n = 3), [<a href="#B73-agronomy-14-00419" class="html-bibr">73</a>].</p> Full article ">
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop