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Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0

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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 June 2022) | Viewed by 38333

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Prof. Dr. Víctor Quesada

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Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche, 3202 Elche, Spain
Interests: genetics; plant development; abiotic stress; arabidopsis; chloroplast biogenesis; mTERF; organelle gene expression
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is the continuation of our previous special issue "Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants".

Gibberellins (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) are two phytohormones that regulate in an antagonistic way, plant growth as well as several developmental processes from seed maturation and germination to flowering time, through hypocotyl elongation and root growth. In general, ABA and GA inhibit and promote respectively, cell elongation and growth. Consequently, this mutual antagonism between GA and ABA governs many developmental decisions in plants.

In addition to its role as growth and development modulator, ABA is primarily known for being a major player in the response and adaptation of plants to diverse abiotic stress conditions, including cold, heat, drought, salinity or flooding. Remarkably, different works have also recently pointed to a function for GA in the control of some biological processes in response to stress.

This Special issue will focus on the most recent advances in ABA and GA functions in the regulation of plant growth, development as well as in the response to abiotic stress. The submission of works reporting ABA and GA crosstalk, as well as the integration of GA and ABA action with other plant hormones and/or environmental cues are especially encouraged. Notwithstanding, contributions on other related topics aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of ABA and/or GA action in plants are also welcomed, including reviews and original research articles.

Prof. Dr. Víctor Quesada
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.

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

6 pages, 238 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0

by Víctor Quesada

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8524; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158524 - 31 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1154

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GA) are two important hormones that antagonistically regulate many aspects of plant growth and development [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

Research

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12 pages, 2047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Overexpression of ABI5 Binding Proteins Suppresses Inhibition of Germination Due to Overaccumulation of DELLA Proteins

by Ruth R. Finkelstein and Tim J. Lynch

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(10), 5537; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23105537 - 16 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1622

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) antagonistically regulate many aspects of plant growth, including seed dormancy and germination. The effects of these hormones are mediated by a complex network of positive and negative regulators of transcription. The DELLA family of proteins repress GA response, and can promote an ABA response via interactions with numerous regulators, including the ABA-insensitive (ABI) transcription factors. The AFP family of ABI5 binding proteins are repressors of the ABA response. This study tested the hypothesis that the AFPs also interact antagonistically with DELLA proteins. Members of these protein families interacted weakly in yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation studies. Overexpression of AFPs in sleepy1, a mutant that over-accumulates DELLA proteins, suppressed DELLA-induced overaccumulation of storage proteins, hyperdormancy and hypersensitivity to ABA, but did not alter the dwarf phenotype of the mutant. The interaction appeared to reflect additive effects of the AFPs and DELLAs, consistent with action in convergent pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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21 pages, 4032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Analysis of Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenases Gene Family and Its Expression in Response to Abiotic Stress in Poplar

by Hui Wei, Ali Movahedi, Guoyuan Liu, Yixin Li, Shiwei Liu, Chunmei Yu, Yanhong Chen, Fei Zhong and Jian Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031418 - 26 Jan 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3072

Abstract

Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) catalyzes the cleavage of various carotenoids into smaller apocarotenoids which are essential for plant growth and development and response to abiotic stresses. CCD family is divided into two subfamilies: 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCED) family and CCD family. A better knowledge of carotenoid biosynthesis and degradation could be useful for regulating carotenoid contents. Here, 23 CCD genes were identified from the Populus trichocarpa genome, and their characterizations and expression profiling were validated. The PtCCD members were divided into PtCCD and PtNCED subfamilies. The PtCCD family contained the PtCCD1, 4, 7, and 8 classes. The PtCCDs clustered in the same clade shared similar intron/exon structures and motif compositions and distributions. In addition, the tandem and segmental duplications resulted in the PtCCD gene expansion based on the collinearity analysis. An additional integrated collinearity analysis among poplar, Arabidopsis, rice, and willow revealed the gene pairs between poplar and willow more than that between poplar and rice. Identifying tissue-special expression patterns indicated that PtCCD genes display different expression patterns in leaves, stems, and roots. Abscisic acid (ABA) treatment and abiotic stress suggested that many PtCCD genes are responsive to osmotic stress regarding the comprehensive regulation networks. The genome-wide identification of PtCCD genes may provide the foundation for further exploring the putative regulation mechanism on osmotic stress and benefit poplar molecular breeding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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15 pages, 38290 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Upstream Open Reading Frame Mediated Translation of WNK8 Is Required for ABA Response in Arabidopsis

by Zhiyong Li, Yajuan Fu, Jinyu Shen and Jiansheng Liang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(19), 10683; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910683 - 01 Oct 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1985

Abstract

With no lysine (K) (WNK) kinases comprise a family of serine/threonine kinases belonging to an evolutionary branch of the eukaryotic kinome. These special kinases contain a unique active site and are found in a wide range of eukaryotes. The model plant Arabidopsis has been reported to have 11 WNK members, of which WNK8 functions as a negative regulator of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Here, we found that the expression of WNK8 is post-transcriptionally regulated through an upstream open reading frame (uORF) found in its 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR). This uORF has been predicted to encode a conserved peptide named CPuORF58 in both monocotyledons and dicotyledons. The analysis of the published ribosome footprinting studies and the study of the frameshift CPuORF58 peptide with altered repression capability suggested that this uORF causes ribosome stalling. Plants transformed with the native WNK8 promoter driving WNK8 expression were comparable with wild-type plants, whereas the plants transformed with a similar construct with mutated CPuORF58 start codon were less sensitive to ABA. In addition, WNK8 and its downstream target RACK1 were found to synergistically coordinate ABA signaling rather than antagonistically modulating glucose response and flowering in plants. Collectively, these results suggest that the WNK8 expression must be tightly regulated to fulfill the demands of ABA response in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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18 pages, 3972 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Combination of Abscisic Acid (ABA) and Water Stress Regulates the Epicuticular Wax Metabolism and Cuticle Properties of Detached Citrus Fruit

by Paco Romero and María Teresa Lafuente

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(19), 10242; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910242 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2027

Abstract

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a major regulator of fruit response to water stress, and may influence cuticle properties and wax layer composition during fruit ripening. This study investigates the effects of ABA on epicuticular wax metabolism regulation in a citrus fruit cultivar with low ABA levels, called Pinalate (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), and how this relationship is influenced by water stress after detachment. Harvested ABA-treated fruit were exposed to water stress by storing them at low (30–35%) relative humidity. The total epicuticular wax load rose after fruit detachment, which ABA application decreased earlier and more markedly during fruit-dehydrating storage. ABA treatment changed the abundance of the separated wax fractions and the contents of most individual components, which reveals dependence on the exposure to postharvest water stress and different trends depending on storage duration. A correlation analysis supported these responses, which mostly fitted the expression patterns of the key genes involved in wax biosynthesis and transport. A cluster analysis indicated that storage duration is an important factor for the exogenous ABA influence and the postharvest environment on epicuticular wax composition, cuticle properties and fruit physiology. Dynamic ABA-mediated reconfiguration of wax metabolism is influenced by fruit exposure to water stress conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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17 pages, 3697 KiB

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Arabidopsis G-Protein β Subunit AGB1 Negatively Regulates DNA Binding of MYB62, a Suppressor in the Gibberellin Pathway

by Xin Qi, Wensi Tang, Weiwei Li, Zhang He, Weiya Xu, Zhijin Fan, Yongbin Zhou, Chunxiao Wang, Zhaoshi Xu, Jun Chen, Shiqin Gao, Youzhi Ma and Ming Chen

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(15), 8270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22158270 - 31 Jul 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2467

Abstract

Plant G proteins are versatile components of transmembrane signaling transduction pathways. The deficient mutant of heterotrimeric G protein leads to defects in plant growth and development, suggesting that it regulates the GA pathway in Arabidopsis. However, the molecular mechanism of G protein regulation of the GA pathway is not understood in plants. In this study, two G protein β subunit (AGB1) mutants, agb1-2 and N692967, were dwarfed after exogenous application of GA₃. AGB1 interacts with the DNA-binding domain MYB62, a GA pathway suppressor. Transgenic plants were obtained through overexpression of MYB62 in two backgrounds including the wild-type (MYB62/WT Col-0) and agb1 mutants (MYB62/agb1) in Arabidopsis. Genetic analysis showed that under GA₃ treatment, the height of the transgenic plants MYB62/WT and MYB62/agb1 was lower than that of WT. The height of MYB62/agb1 plants was closer to MYB62/WT plants and higher than that of mutants agb1-2 and N692967, suggesting that MYB62 is downstream of AGB1 in the GA pathway. qRT-PCR and competitive DNA binding assays indicated that MYB62 can bind MYB elements in the promoter of GA2ox7, a GA degradation gene, to activate GA2ox7 transcription. AGB1 affected binding of MYB62 on the promoter of GA2ox7, thereby negatively regulating th eactivity of MYB62. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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22 pages, 7067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

NAC Transcription Factor PwNAC11 Activates ERD1 by Interaction with ABF3 and DREB2A to Enhance Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis

by Mingxin Yu, Junling Liu, Bingshuai Du, Mengjuan Zhang, Aibin Wang and Lingyun Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(13), 6952; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22136952 - 28 Jun 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3181

Abstract

NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) transcription factors are ubiquitously distributed in eukaryotes and play significant roles in stress response. However, the functional verifications of NACs in Picea (P.) wilsonii remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we identified the NAC transcription factor PwNAC11 as a mediator of drought stress, which was significantly upregulated in P. wilsonii under drought and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. Yeast two-hybrid assays showed that both the full length and C-terminal of PwNAC11 had transcriptional activation activity and PwNAC11 protein cannot form a homodimer by itself. Subcellular observation demonstrated that PwNAC11 protein was located in nucleus. The overexpression of PwNAC11 in Arabidopsis obviously improved the tolerance to drought stress but delayed flowering time under nonstress conditions. The steady-state level of antioxidant enzymes’ activities and light energy conversion efficiency were significantly increased in PwNAC11 transgenic lines under dehydration compared to wild plants. PwNAC11 transgenic lines showed hypersensitivity to ABA and PwNAC11 activated the expression of the downstream gene ERD1 by binding to ABA-responsive elements (ABREs) instead of drought-responsive elements (DREs). Genetic evidence demonstrated that PwNAC11 physically interacted with an ABA-induced protein—ABRE Binding Factor3 (ABF3)—and promoted the activation of ERD1 promoter, which implied an ABA-dependent signaling cascade controlled by PwNAC11. In addition, qRT-PCR and yeast assays showed that an ABA-independent gene—DREB2A—was also probably involved in PwNAC11-mediated drought stress response. Taken together, our results provide the evidence that PwNAC11 plays a dominant role in plants positively responding to early drought stress and ABF3 and DREB2A synergistically regulate the expression of ERD1. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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Review

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15 pages, 1318 KiB

Open AccessReview

Roles of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins in Stem/Root Tuber Development

by Peilei Chen, Ruixue Yang, Dorothea Bartels, Tianyu Dong and Hongying Duan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(9), 4955; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23094955 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3195

Abstract

Root and tuber crops are of great importance. They not only contribute to feeding the population but also provide raw material for medicine and small-scale industries. The yield of the root and tuber crops is subject to the development of stem/root tubers, which involves the initiation, expansion, and maturation of storage organs. The formation of the storage organ is a highly intricate process, regulated by multiple phytohormones. Gibberellins (GAs) and abscisic acid (ABA), as antagonists, are essential regulators during stem/root tuber development. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the roles of GA and ABA during stem/root tuber development in various tuber crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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14 pages, 1286 KiB

Open AccessReview

ABA Mediates Plant Development and Abiotic Stress via Alternative Splicing

by Xue Yang, Zichang Jia, Qiong Pu, Yuan Tian, Fuyuan Zhu and Yinggao Liu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(7), 3796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23073796 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3224

Abstract

Alternative splicing (AS) exists in eukaryotes to increase the complexity and adaptability of systems under biophysiological conditions by increasing transcriptional and protein diversity. As a classic hormone, abscisic acid (ABA) can effectively control plant growth, improve stress resistance, and promote dormancy. At the transcriptional level, ABA helps plants respond to the outside world by regulating transcription factors through signal transduction pathways to regulate gene expression. However, at the post-transcriptional level, the mechanism by which ABA can regulate plant biological processes by mediating alternative splicing is not well understood. Therefore, this paper briefly introduces the mechanism of ABA-induced alternative splicing and the role of ABA mediating AS in plant response to the environment and its own growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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15 pages, 961 KiB

Open AccessReview

Molecular Aspects of Seed Development Controlled by Gibberellins and Abscisic Acids

by Akiko Kozaki and Takuya Aoyanagi

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031876 - 07 Feb 2022

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3974

Abstract

Plants have evolved seeds to permit the survival and dispersion of their lineages by providing nutrition for embryo growth and resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions. Seed formation is a complicated process that can be roughly divided into embryogenesis and the maturation phase, characterized by accumulation of storage compound, acquisition of desiccation tolerance, arrest of growth, and acquisition of dormancy. Concerted regulation of several signaling pathways, including hormonal and metabolic signals and gene networks, is required to accomplish seed formation. Recent studies have identified the major network of genes and hormonal signals in seed development, mainly in maturation. Gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acids (ABA) are recognized as the main hormones that antagonistically regulate seed development and germination. Especially, knowledge of the molecular mechanism of ABA regulation of seed maturation, including regulation of dormancy, accumulation of storage compounds, and desiccation tolerance, has been accumulated. However, the function of ABA and GA during embryogenesis still remains elusive. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the sophisticated molecular networks of genes and signaling of GA and ABA in the regulation of seed development from embryogenesis to maturation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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21 pages, 1815 KiB

Open AccessReview

Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid-Mediated Drought Stress Responses in Plants

by Mehtab Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Waseem, Bello Hassan Jakada, Eyalira Jacob Okal, Zuliang Lei, Hafiz Sohaib Ahmad Saqib, Wei Yuan, Weifeng Xu and Qian Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031084 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 111 | Viewed by 11135

Abstract

Drought is one of the major constraints to rain-fed agricultural production, especially under climate change conditions. Plants evolved an array of adaptive strategies that perceive stress stimuli and respond to these stress signals through specific mechanisms. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a premier signal for plants to respond to drought and plays a critical role in plant growth and development. ABA triggers a variety of physiological processes such as stomatal closure, root system modulation, organizing soil microbial communities, activation of transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression, and metabolic alterations. Thus, understanding the mechanisms of ABA-mediated drought responses in plants is critical for ensuring crop yield and global food security. In this review, we highlighted how plants adjust ABA perception, transcriptional levels of ABA- and drought-related genes, and regulation of metabolic pathways to alter drought stress responses at both cellular and the whole plant level. Understanding the synergetic role of drought and ABA will strengthen our knowledge to develop stress-resilient crops through integrated advanced biotechnology approaches. This review will elaborate on ABA-mediated drought responses at genetic, biochemical, and molecular levels in plants, which is critical for advancement in stress biology research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Molecular Mechanisms of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Functions in Plants 2.0)

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