Editorial

4 pages, 214 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress

by Emilia L. Apostolova

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 10339; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241210339 - 19 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1122

The climatic changes and anthropogenic factors in recent decades (global warming, drought, salinity, extreme temperature, environmental pollution) have led to an increase in the negative impact of environmental factors on plants. Abiotic stress strongly influences the important processes of plants and thus affects [...] Read more.

The climatic changes and anthropogenic factors in recent decades (global warming, drought, salinity, extreme temperature, environmental pollution) have led to an increase in the negative impact of environmental factors on plants. Abiotic stress strongly influences the important processes of plants and thus affects their growth and development. The effects of stressors on the plants depend on the intensity, frequency, and duration of stress, plant species as well as a combination of various stressors. Plants have developed different mechanisms to limit adverse environmental conditions. In the publications in this Special Issue, Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress, new information on plant defense mechanisms against abiotic and biotic stress is presented. The studies help us better understand plants' protection mechanisms again global climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

Research

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17 pages, 1532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Salinity on the Energy Transfer between Pigment–Protein Complexes in Photosynthetic Apparatus, Functions of the Oxygen-Evolving Complex and Photochemical Activities of Photosystem II and Photosystem I in Two Paulownia Lines

by Martin A. Stefanov, Georgi D. Rashkov, Ekaterina K. Yotsova, Anelia G. Dobrikova and Emilia L. Apostolova

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3108; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043108 - 04 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1266

Abstract

The present study shows the effect of salinity on the functions of thylakoid membranes from two hybrid lines of Paulownia: Paulownia tomentosa x fortunei and Paulownia elongate x elongata, grown in a Hoagland solution with two NaCl concentrations (100 and 150 [...] Read more.

The present study shows the effect of salinity on the functions of thylakoid membranes from two hybrid lines of Paulownia: Paulownia tomentosa x fortunei and Paulownia elongate x elongata, grown in a Hoagland solution with two NaCl concentrations (100 and 150 mM) and different exposure times (10 and 25 days). We observed inhibition of the photochemical activities of photosystem I (DCPIH₂ → MV) and photosystem II (H₂O → BQ) only after the short treatment (10 days) with the higher NaCl concentration. Data also revealed alterations in the energy transfer between pigment–protein complexes (fluorescence emission ratios F₇₃₅/F₆₈₅ and F_695/F₆₈₅), the kinetic parameters of the oxygen-evolving reactions (initial S₀-S₁ state distribution, misses (α), double hits (β) and blocked centers (S_B)). Moreover, the experimental results showed that after prolonged treatment with NaCl Paulownia tomentosa x fortunei adapted to the higher concentration of NaCl (150 mM), while this concentration is lethal for Paulownia elongata x elongata. This study demonstrated the relationship between the salt-induced inhibition of the photochemistry of both photosystems and the salt-induced changes in the energy transfer between the pigment–protein complexes and the alterations in the Mn cluster of the oxygen-evolving complex under salt stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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19 pages, 15096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Analyses of Thaumatin-like Protein Family Genes Reveal the Involvement in the Response to Low-Temperature Stress in Ammopiptanthus nanus

by Qi Liu, Xiangyu Sui, Ying Wang, Ming Zhu, Yijun Zhou and Fei Gao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2209; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032209 - 22 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1745

Abstract

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), a family of proteins with high sequence similarity to thaumatin, are shown to be involved in plant defense, and are thus classified into the pathogenesis related protein family 5. Ammopiptanthus nanus is a rare evergreen broad-leaved shrub distributed in the [...] Read more.

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), a family of proteins with high sequence similarity to thaumatin, are shown to be involved in plant defense, and are thus classified into the pathogenesis related protein family 5. Ammopiptanthus nanus is a rare evergreen broad-leaved shrub distributed in the temperate zone of Central Asia, which has a high tolerance to low-temperature stress. To characterize A. nanus TLPs and understand their roles in low-temperature response in A. nanus, a comprehensive analysis of the structure, evolution, and expression of TLP family proteins was performed. A total of 31 TLP genes were detected in the A. nanus genome, and they were divided into four groups based on their phylogenetic positions. The majority of the AnTLPs contained the conserved cysteine residues and were predicted to have the typical three-dimensional structure of plant TLPs. The primary modes of gene duplication of the AnTLP family genes were segmental duplication. The promoter regions of most AnTLP genes contain multiple cis-acting elements related to environmental stress response. Gene expression analysis based on transcriptome data and fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis revealed that several AnTLP genes were involved in cold-stress response. We further showed that a cold-induced AnTLP gene, AnTLP13, was localized in apoplast, and heterologous expression of the AnTLP13 in Escherichia coli and yeast cells and tobacco leaves enhanced low-temperature stress tolerance when compared with the control cells or seedlings. Our study provided important data for understanding the roles of TLPs in plant response to abiotic stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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12 pages, 2021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Asp-2078-Gly Mutation Conferring Resistance to Different ACCase Inhibitors in a Polypogon fugax Population from China

by Bocheng Mo, Wen Chen, Sifen He, Haozhe Liu, Lianyang Bai and Lang Pan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010528 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1204

Abstract

Asia minor bluegrass (Polypogon fugax) is a common and problematic weed throughout China. P. fugax that is often controlled by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors in canola fields. Herein, we confirmed a P. fugax population (R) showing resistance to all ACCase inhibitors [...] Read more.

Asia minor bluegrass (Polypogon fugax) is a common and problematic weed throughout China. P. fugax that is often controlled by acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors in canola fields. Herein, we confirmed a P. fugax population (R) showing resistance to all ACCase inhibitors tested with resistance indexes ranging from 5.4–18.4. We further investigated the resistance mechanisms of this R population. Molecular analyses revealed that an amino acid mutation (Asp-2078-Gly) was present in the R population by comparing ACCase gene sequences of the sensitive population (S). In addition, differences in susceptibility between the R and S population were unlikely to be related to herbicide metabolism. Furthermore, a new derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) method was developed for detecting the Asp-2078-Gly mutation in P. fugax efficiently. We found that 93.75% of plants in the R population carried the Asp-2078-Gly mutation, and all the herbicide-resistant phenotype of this R population is inseparable from this mutation. This is the first report of cross resistance to ACCase inhibitors conferred by the Asp-2078-Gly target-site mutation in P. fugax. The research suggested the urgent need to improve the diversity of weed management practices to prevent the widespread evolution of herbicide resistance in P. fugax in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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21 pages, 3621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

OSCA Genes in Bread Wheat: Molecular Characterization, Expression Profiling, and Interaction Analyses Indicated Their Diverse Roles during Development and Stress Response

by Amandeep Kaur, Alok Sharma, Madhu, Sameer Dixit, Kashmir Singh and Santosh Kumar Upadhyay

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(23), 14867; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232314867 - 28 Nov 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 1861

Abstract

The hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) are pore-forming transmembrane proteins that function as osmosensors during various plant developmental processes and stress responses. In our analysis, through in silico approaches, a total of 42 OSCA genes are identified in the Triticum aestivum genome. A phylogenetic [...] Read more.

The hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) are pore-forming transmembrane proteins that function as osmosensors during various plant developmental processes and stress responses. In our analysis, through in silico approaches, a total of 42 OSCA genes are identified in the Triticum aestivum genome. A phylogenetic analysis reveals the close clustering of the OSCA proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and T. aestivum in all the clades, suggesting their origin before the divergence of dicots and monocots. Furthermore, evolutionary analyses suggest the role of segmental and tandem duplication events (Des) and purifying selection pressure in the expansion of the OSCA gene family in T. aestivum. Expression profiling in various tissue developmental stages and under abiotic and biotic stress treatments reveals the probable functioning of OSCA genes in plant development and the stress response in T. aestivum. In addition, protein–protein and protein–chemical interactions reveal that OSCA proteins might play a putative role in Ca²⁺-mediated developmental processes and adaptive responses. The miRNA interaction analysis strengthens the evidence for their functioning in various biological processes and stress-induced signaling cascades. The current study could provide a foundation for the functional characterization of TaOSCA genes in future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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22 pages, 5063 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Competing Endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) Network Associated with Drought Tolerance in Medicago truncatula with Rhizobium Symbiosis

by Jiaxian Jing, Peizhi Yang, Yue Wang, Qihao Qu, Jie An, Bingzhe Fu, Xiaoning Hu, Yi Zhou, Tianming Hu and Yuman Cao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14237; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214237 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1537

Abstract

Drought, bringing the risks of agricultural production losses, is becoming a globally environmental stress. Previous results suggested that legumes with nodules exhibited superior drought tolerance compared with the non-nodule group. To investigate the molecular mechanism of rhizobium symbiosis impacting drought tolerance, transcriptome and [...] Read more.

Drought, bringing the risks of agricultural production losses, is becoming a globally environmental stress. Previous results suggested that legumes with nodules exhibited superior drought tolerance compared with the non-nodule group. To investigate the molecular mechanism of rhizobium symbiosis impacting drought tolerance, transcriptome and sRNAome sequencing were performed to identify the potential mRNA–miRNA–ncRNA dynamic network. Our results revealed that seedlings with active nodules exhibited enhanced drought tolerance by reserving energy, synthesizing N-glycans, and medicating systemic acquired resistance due to the early effects of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) triggered in contrast to the drought susceptible with inactive nodules. The improved drought tolerance might be involved in the decreased expression levels of miRNA such as mtr_miR169l-5p, mtr_miR398b, and mtr_miR398c and its target genes in seedlings with active nodules. Based on the negative expression pattern between miRNA and its target genes, we constructed an mRNA–miR169l–ncRNA ceRNA network. During severe drought stress, the lncRNA alternative splicings TCONS_00049507 and TCONS_00049510 competitively interacted with mtr_miR169l-5p, which upregulated the expression of NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y (NF-Y) transcription factor subfamily NF-YA genes MtNF-YA2 and MtNF-YA3 to regulate their downstream drought-response genes. Our results emphasized the importance of SNF plants affecting drought tolerance. In conclusion, our work provides insight into ceRNA involvement in rhizobium symbiosis contributing to drought tolerance and provides molecular evidence for future study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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26 pages, 7507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of Salinity Resistance of Three Durum Wheat Genotypes

by Jakub Pastuszak, Michał Dziurka, Marta Hornyák, Anna Szczerba, Przemysław Kopeć and Agnieszka Płażek

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8397; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158397 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2240

Abstract

The area of farming lands affected by increasing soil salinity is growing significantly worldwide. For this reason, breeding works are conducted to improve the salinity tolerance of important crop species. The goal of the present study was to indicate physiological or biochemical parameters [...] Read more.

The area of farming lands affected by increasing soil salinity is growing significantly worldwide. For this reason, breeding works are conducted to improve the salinity tolerance of important crop species. The goal of the present study was to indicate physiological or biochemical parameters characterizing three durum wheat accessions with various tolerance to salinity. The study was carried out on germinating seeds and mature plants of a Polish SMH87 line, an Australian cultivar ‘Tamaroi’ (salt-sensitive), and the BC₅Nax₂ line (salt-tolerant) exposed to 0–150 mM NaCl. Germination parameters, electrolyte leakage (EL), and salt susceptibility index were determined in the germinating caryopses, whereas photosynthetic parameters, carbohydrate and phenolic content, antioxidant activity as well as yield were measured in fully developed plants. The parameters that most differentiated the examined accessions in the germination phase were the percentage of germinating seeds (PGS) and germination vigor (Vi). In the fully developed plants, parameters included whether the plants had the maximum efficiency of the water-splitting reaction on the donor side of photosystem II (PSII)–F_v/F₀, energy dissipation from PSII–DI_o/CS_m, and the content of photosynthetic pigments and hydrogen peroxide, which differentiated studied genotypes in terms of salinity tolerance degree. Salinity has a negative impact on grain yield by reducing the number of seeds per spike and the mass of one thousand seeds (MTS), which can be used as the most suitable parameter for determining tolerance to salinity stress. The most salt-tolerant BC₅Nax₂ line was characterized by the highest PGS, and Vi for NaCl concentration of 100–150 mM, content of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and also MTS at all applied salt concentrations as compared with the other accessions. The most salt-sensitive cv. ‘Tamaroi’ demonstrated higher H₂O₂ concentration which proves considerable oxidative damage caused by salinity stress. Mentioned parameters can be helpful for breeders in the selection of genotypes the most resistant to this stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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16 pages, 3882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Growth Regulatory Factor Family Genes in Medicago

by Wenxuan Du, Junfeng Yang, Qian Li, Qian Su, Dengxia Yi and Yongzhen Pang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(13), 6905; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23136905 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1935

Abstract

Growth Regulatory Factors (GRF) are plant-specific transcription factors that play critical roles in plant growth and development as well as plant tolerance against stress. In this study, a total of 16 GRF genes were identified from the genomes of Medicago truncatula and Medicago [...] Read more.

Growth Regulatory Factors (GRF) are plant-specific transcription factors that play critical roles in plant growth and development as well as plant tolerance against stress. In this study, a total of 16 GRF genes were identified from the genomes of Medicago truncatula and Medicago sativa. Multiple sequence alignment analysis showed that all these members contain conserved QLQ and WRC domains. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that these GRF proteins could be classified into five clusters. The GRF genes showed similar exon–intron organizations and similar architectures in their conserved motifs. Many stress-related cis-acting elements were found in their promoter region, and most of them were related to drought and defense response. In addition, analyses on microarray and transcriptome data indicated that these GRF genes exhibited distinct expression patterns in various tissues or in response to drought and salt treatments. In particular, qPCR results showed that the expression levels of gene pairs MtGRF2–MsGRF2 and MtGRF6–MsGRF6 were significantly increased under NaCl and mannitol treatments, indicating that they are most likely involved in salt and drought stress tolerance. Collectively, our study is valuable for further investigation on the function of GRF genes in Medicago and for the exploration of GRF genes in the molecular breeding of highly resistant M. sativa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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Review

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13 pages, 3445 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plant Protection against Viruses: An Integrated Review of Plant Immunity Agents

by Min Huang, Zilin Wu, Jingxin Li, Yuyu Ding, Shilin Chen and Xiangyang Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(5), 4453; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054453 - 23 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2510

Abstract

Plant viruses are an important class of pathogens that seriously affect plant growth and harm crop production. Viruses are simple in structure but complex in mutation and have thus always posed a continuous threat to agricultural development. Low resistance and eco-friendliness are important [...] Read more.

Plant viruses are an important class of pathogens that seriously affect plant growth and harm crop production. Viruses are simple in structure but complex in mutation and have thus always posed a continuous threat to agricultural development. Low resistance and eco-friendliness are important features of green pesticides. Plant immunity agents can enhance the resilience of the immune system by activating plants to regulate their metabolism. Therefore, plant immune agents are of great importance in pesticide science. In this paper, we review plant immunity agents, such as ningnanmycin, vanisulfane, dufulin, cytosinpeptidemycin, and oligosaccharins, and their antiviral molecular mechanisms and discuss the antiviral applications and development of plant immunity agents. Plant immunity agents can trigger defense responses and confer disease resistance to plants, and the development trends and application prospects of plant immunity agents in plant protection are analyzed in depth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Defense against Abiotic Stress)

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