Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 6758

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Yong-Hwan Moon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant abiotic stress response; plant development regulation; Arabidopsis; non-tandem CCCH zinc finger genes; AP2/ERF transcription factors; osmotic stress; hypoxia stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants rely on transcriptional regulators to carry out essential biological processes, such as growth, development, environmental stress response, and reproduction. Endogenous and/or exogenous signals stimulate developmental process that involves regulation of cell multiplication, differentiation, and expansion through diverse transcriptional regulation. Environmental stresses limit the growth and productivity of plants. Cellular adaptation to abiotic stresses requires coordinated changes in gene expression regulated by complex mechanisms. The changes to the transcriptome are mediated by transcriptional regulators to modulate development and responses to abiotic stresses in plants. Transcriptional regulators are the trans-acting elements that play major roles in regulating gene expression by binding to cis-acting elements. They function as either transcriptional activators or repressors in gene regulation. Regulation of the balance between activators and repressors is important for proper gene expression. Several major transcription factor families have been identified in plants, such as AP2/ERF, bZIP, zinc finger, WRKY, MYB, bHLH, NAC families, and so on. This Special Issue will focus on the most recent advances in the regulatory mechanisms of development and abiotic stress response by transcriptional regulators in plants. The submission of original research articles and reviews reporting the molecular functions and/or signal transduction of transcriptional regulators in developmental regulation or abiotic stress response are especially encouraged. Notwithstanding, contributions on other related topics aimed at understanding the regulation of gene expression in plants such as epigenetic regulation and genome-wide analysis are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Yong-Hwan Moon
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

transcriptional regulator
transcription activation
transcription factor
transcription repression
plant development
abiotic stress response
epigenetic regulation
genome-wide analysis

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

30 pages, 6879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Expression Patterns and Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Drought Tolerance of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Conferred by Transcription Factor Gene GmNAC19

by Xiyan Cui, Minghao Tang, Lei Li, Jiageng Chang, Xiaoqin Yang, Hongli Chang, Jiayu Zhou, Miao Liu, Yan Wang, Ying Zhou, Fengjie Sun and Zhanyu Chen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(4), 2396; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25042396 - 18 Feb 2024

Viewed by 660

Abstract

NAC transcription factors are commonly involved in the plant response to drought stress. A transcriptome analysis of root samples of the soybean variety ‘Jiyu47’ under drought stress revealed the evidently up-regulated expression of GmNAC19, consistent with the expression pattern revealed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The overexpression of GmNAC19 enhanced drought tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae INVSc1. The seed germination percentage and root growth of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana were improved in comparison with those of the wild type, while the transgenic soybean composite line showed improved chlorophyll content. The altered contents of physiological and biochemical indices (i.e., soluble protein, soluble sugar, proline, and malondialdehyde) related to drought stress and the activities of three antioxidant enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) revealed enhanced drought tolerance in both transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean. The expressions of three genes (i.e., P5CS, OAT, and P5CR) involved in proline synthesis were decreased in the transgenic soybean hairy roots, while the expression of ProDH involved in the breakdown of proline was increased. This study revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance enhanced by GmNAC19 via regulation of the contents of soluble protein and soluble sugar and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, providing a candidate gene for the molecular breeding of drought-tolerant crop plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 10179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Stearoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Δ9 Desaturase Gene Family under Abiotic Stress in Barley

by Mingyu Ding, Danni Zhou, Yichen Ye, Shuting Wen, Xian Zhang, Quanxiang Tian, Xiaoqin Zhang, Wangshu Mou, Cong Dang, Yunxia Fang and Dawei Xue

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010113 (registering DOI) - 21 Dec 2023

Viewed by 745

Abstract

Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) Δ9 desaturase (SAD) is a critical fatty acid dehydrogenase in plants, playing a prominent role in regulating the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) and having a significant impact on plant growth and development. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis of the SAD family in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), identifying 14 HvSADs with the FA_desaturase_2 domain, which were divided into four subgroups based on sequence composition and phylogenetic analysis, with members of the same subgroup possessing similar genes and motif structures. Gene replication analysis suggested that tandem and segmental duplication may be the major reasons for the expansion of the SAD family in barley. The promoters of HvSADs contained various cis-regulatory elements (CREs) related to light, abscisic acid (ABA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). In addition, expression analysis indicated that HvSADs exhibit multiple tissue expression patterns in barley as well as different response characteristics under three abiotic stresses: salt, drought, and cold. Briefly, this evolutionary and expression analysis of HvSADs provides insight into the biological functions of barley, supporting a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory mechanisms of oil biosynthesis and metabolism in plants under abiotic stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 6294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analyses of Avicennia marina and Kandelia obovata under Chilling Stress during Seedling Stage

by Shu-Min Wang, You-Shao Wang and Hao Cheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16989; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316989 - 30 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 712

Abstract

One of the most productive ecosystems in the world, mangroves are susceptible to cold stress. However, there is currently insufficient knowledge of the adaptation mechanisms of mangrove plants in response to chilling stress. This study conducted a comparative analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics to investigate the adaptive responses of Kandelia obovata (chilling-tolerant) and Avicennia marina (chilling-sensitive) to 5 °C. The transcriptomics results revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mostly enriched in signal transduction, photosynthesis-related pathways, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The expression pattern of genes involved in photosynthesis-related pathways in A. marina presented a downregulation of most DEGs, which correlated with the decrease in total chlorophyll content. In the susceptible A. marina, all DEGs encoding mitogen-activated protein kinase were upregulated. Phenylpropanoid-related genes were observed to be highly induced in K. obovata. Additionally, several metabolites, such as 4-aminobutyric acid, exhibited higher levels in K. obovata than in A. marina, suggesting that chilling-tolerant varieties regulated more metabolites in response to chilling. The investigation defined the inherent distinctions between K. obovata and A. marina in terms of signal transduction gene expression, as well as phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, during exposure to low temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3465 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Role of TaPLC1-2B in Heat Tolerance at Seedling and Adult Stages of Wheat through Transcriptome Analysis

by Chenyang Li, Ahui Zhao, Yan Yu, Chao Cui, Quan Zeng, Wei Shen, Yang Zhao, Fei Wang, Jian Dong, Xiang Gao and Mingming Yang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16583; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316583 - 21 Nov 2023

Viewed by 769

Abstract

Heat stress is a major abiotic stress that can cause serious losses of a crop. Our previous work identified a gene involved in heat stress tolerance in wheat, TaPLC1-2B. To further investigate its mechanisms, in the present study, TaPLC1-2B RNAi-silenced transgenic wheat and the wild type were comparatively analyzed at both the seedling and adult stages, with or without heat stress, using transcriptome sequencing. A total of 15,549 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at the adult stage and 20,535 DEGs were detected at the seedling stage. After heat stress, an enrichment of pathways such as phytohormones and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling was mainly found in the seedling stage, and pathways related to metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, circadian rhythms, and ABC transporter were enriched in the adult stage. Auxin and abscisic acid were downregulated in the seedling stage and vice versa in the adult stage; and the MYB, WRKY, and no apical meristem gene families were downregulated in the seedling stage in response to heat stress and upregulated in the adult stage in response to heat stress. This study deepens our understanding of the mechanisms of TaPLC1-2B in regard to heat stress in wheat at the seedling and adult stages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction of a High-Density Paulownia Genetic Map and QTL Mapping of Important Phenotypic Traits Based on Genome Assembly and Whole-Genome Resequencing

by Yanzhi Feng, Chaowei Yang, Jiajia Zhang, Jie Qiao, Baoping Wang and Yang Zhao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15647; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115647 - 27 Oct 2023

Viewed by 777

Abstract

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping based on a genetic map is a very effective method of marker-assisted selection in breeding, and whole-genome resequencing is one of the useful methods to obtain high-density genetic maps. In this study, the hybrid assembly of Illumina, PacBio, and chromatin interaction mapping data was used to construct high-quality chromosomal genome sequences of Paulownia fortunei, with a size of 476.82 Mb, a heterozygosity of 0.52%, and a contig and scaffold N50s of 7.81 Mb and 21.81 Mb, respectively. Twenty scaffolds with a total length of 437.72 Mb were assembled into 20 pseudochromosomes. Repeat sequences with a total length of 243.96 Mb accounted for 51.16% of the entire genome. In all, 26,903 protein-coding gene loci were identified, and 26,008 (96.67%) genes had conserved functional motifs. Further comparative genomics analysis preliminarily showed that the split of P. fortunei with Tectona grandis likely occurred 38.8 (33.3–45.1) million years ago. Whole-genome resequencing was used to construct a merged genetic map of 20 linkage groups, with 2993 bin markers (3,312,780 SNPs), a total length of 1675.14 cm, and an average marker interval of 0.56 cm. In total, 73 QTLs for important phenotypic traits were identified (19 major QTLs with phenotypic variation explained ≥ 10%), including 10 for the diameter at breast height, 7 for the main trunk height, and 56 for branch-related traits. These results not only enrich P. fortunei genomic data but also form a solid foundation for fine QTL mapping and key marker/gene mining of Paulownia, which is of great significance for the directed genetic improvement of these species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 6323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Soybean Sucrose Non-Fermenting Protein Kinase 1 Gene, GmSNF1, Positively Regulates Plant Response to Salt and Salt–Alkali Stress in Transgenic Plants

by Ping Lu, Si-Yu Dai, Ling-Tao Yong, Bai-Hui Zhou, Nan Wang, Yuan-Yuan Dong, Wei-Can Liu, Fa-Wei Wang, Hao-Yu Yang and Xiao-Wei Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12482; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512482 - 05 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1145

Abstract

Soybean is one of the most widely grown oilseed crops worldwide. Several unfavorable factors, including salt and salt–alkali stress caused by soil salinization, affect soybean yield and quality. Therefore, exploring the molecular basis of salt tolerance in plants and developing genetic resources for genetic breeding is important. Sucrose non-fermentable protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) belongs to a class of Ser/Thr protein kinases that are evolutionarily highly conserved direct homologs of yeast SNF1 and animal AMPKs and are involved in various abiotic stresses in plants. The GmPKS4 gene was experimentally shown to be involved with salinity tolerance. First, using the yeast two-hybrid technique and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) technique, the GmSNF1 protein was shown to interact with the GmPKS4 protein. Second, the GmSNF1 gene responded positively to salt and salt–alkali stress according to qRT-PCR analysis, and the GmSNF1 protein was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm using subcellular localization assay. The GmSNF1 gene was then heterologously expressed in yeast, and the GmSNF1 gene was tentatively identified as having salt and salt–alkali tolerance function. Finally, the salt–alkali tolerance function of the GmSNF1 gene was demonstrated by transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, soybean hairy root complex plants overexpressing GmSNF1 and GmSNF1 gene-silenced soybean using VIGS. These results indicated that GmSNF1 might be useful in genetic engineering to improve plant salt and salt–alkali tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 2385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Mapping to Discover Reliable Salinity-Resilient QTLs from the Novel Landrace Akundi in Two Bi-Parental Populations Using SNP-Based Genome-Wide Analysis in Rice

by Sheikh Maniruzzaman, M. Akhlasur Rahman, Mehfuz Hasan, Mohammad Golam Rasul, Abul Hossain Molla, Hasina Khatun, K. M. Iftekharuddaula, Md. Shahjahan Kabir and Salma Akter

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 11141; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241311141 - 06 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1426

Abstract

Achieving high-yield potential is always the ultimate objective of any breeding program. However, various abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, cold, flood, and heat hampered rice productivity tremendously. Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that adversely affect rice grain yield. The present investigation was undertaken to dissect new genetic loci, which are responsible for salt tolerance at the early seedling stage in rice. A bi-parental mapping population (F_2:3) was developed from the cross between BRRI dhan28/Akundi, where BRRI dhan28 (BR28) is a salt-sensitive irrigated (boro) rice mega variety and Akundi is a highly salinity-tolerant Bangladeshi origin indica rice landrace that is utilized as a donor parent. We report reliable and stable QTLs for salt tolerance from a common donor (Akundi) irrespective of two different genetic backgrounds (BRRI dhan49/Akundi and BRRI dhan28/Akundi). A robust 1k-Rice Custom Amplicon (1k-RiCA) SNP marker genotyping platform was used for genome-wide analysis of this bi-parental population. After eliminating markers with high segregation distortion, 886 polymorphic SNPs built a genetic linkage map covering 1526.5 cM of whole rice genome with an average SNP density of 1.72 cM for the 12 genetic linkage groups. A total of 12 QTLs for nine different salt tolerance-related traits were identified using QGene and inclusive composite interval mapping of additive and dominant QTL (ICIM-ADD) under salt stress on seven different chromosomes. All of these 12 new QTLs were found to be unique, as no other map from the previous study has reported these QTLs in the similar chromosomal location and found them different from extensively studied Saltol, SKC1, OsSalT, and salT locus. Twenty-eight significant digenic/epistatic interactions were identified between chromosomal regions linked to or unlinked to QTLs. Akundi acts like a new alternate donor source of salt tolerance except for other usually known donors such as Nona Bokra, Pokkali, Capsule, and Hasawi used in salt tolerance genetic analysis and breeding programs worldwide, including Bangladesh. Integration of the seven novel, reliable, stable, and background independent salinity-resilient QTLs (qSES1, qSL1, qRL1, qSUR1, qSL8, qK8, qK1) reported in this investigation will expedite the cultivar development that is highly tolerant to salt stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Regulatory Mechanisms of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Transcriptional Regulators in Plants

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI