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17 pages, 3292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Genetics by Environment Interactions in Some Rice Genotypes across Varied Environmental Conditions

by Mohamed I. Ghazy, Mohamed Abdelrahman, Roshdy Y. El-Agoury, Tamer M. El-hefnawy, Sabry A. EL-Naem, Elhousini M. Daher and Medhat Rehan

Plants 2024, 13(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010074 - 26 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 827

Abstract

Rice production faces challenges related to diverse climate change processes. Heat stress combined with low humidity, water scarcity, and salinity are the foremost threats in its cultivation. The present investigation aimed at identifying the most resilient rice genotypes with yield stability to cope [...] Read more.

Rice production faces challenges related to diverse climate change processes. Heat stress combined with low humidity, water scarcity, and salinity are the foremost threats in its cultivation. The present investigation aimed at identifying the most resilient rice genotypes with yield stability to cope with the current waves of climate change. A total of 34 rice genotypes were exposed to multilocation trials. These locations had different environmental conditions, mainly normal, heat stress with low humidity, and salinity-affected soils. The genotypes were assessed for their yield stability under these conditions. The newly developed metan package of R-studio was employed to perform additive main effects and multiplicative interactions modelling and genotype-by-environment modelling. The results indicated that there were highly significant differences among the tested genotypes and environments. The main effects of the environments accounted for the largest portion of the total yield sum of squared deviations, while different sets of genotypes showed good performance in different environments. AMMI1 and GGE biplots confirmed that Giza179 was the highest-yielding genotype, whereas Giza178 was considered the most-adopted and highest-yielding genotype across environments. These findings were further confirmed by the which–won–where analysis, which explained that Giza178 has the greatest adaptability to the different climatic conditions under study. While Giza179 was the best under normal environments, N22 recorded the uppermost values under heat stress coupled with low humidity, and GZ1968-S-5-4 manifested superior performance regarding salinity-affected soils. Giza 177 was implicated regarding harsh environments. The mean vs. stability-based rankings indicated that the highest-ranked genotypes were Giza179 > Giza178 > IET1444 > IR65600-77 > GZ1968-S-5-4 > N22 > IR11L236 > IR12G3213. Among them, Giza178, IR65600-77, and IR12G3213 were the most stable genotypes. Furthermore, these results were confirmed by cluster-analysis-based stability indices. A significant and positive correlation was detected between the overall yield under all the environments with panicle length, number of panicles per plant, and thousand grain weight. Our study sheds light on the notion that the Indica/Japonica and Indica types have greater stability potential over the Japonica ones, as well as the potential utilization of genotypes with wide adaptability, stability, and high yield, such as Giza178, in the breeding programs for climate change resilience in rice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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22 pages, 14171 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Melatonin-Mediated Enhancement of Photosynthetic Capacity and Photoprotection Improves Salt Tolerance in Wheat

by Di Yan, Jiajie Wang, Zhenzong Lu, Rui Liu, Yue Hong, Baocai Su, Ye Wang, Zhen Peng, Chunxin Yu, Yuerong Gao, Ziyan Liu, Zhaoshi Xu, Liusheng Duan and Runzhi Li

Plants 2023, 12(23), 3984; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233984 - 27 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 801

Abstract

The role of melatonin in plant growth and response to environmental stress has been widely demonstrated. However, the physiological and molecular regulation of salt tolerance in wheat seedlings by melatonin remains unclear. In this study, we investigated changes in phenotype, physiology, photosynthetic parameters, [...] Read more.

The role of melatonin in plant growth and response to environmental stress has been widely demonstrated. However, the physiological and molecular regulation of salt tolerance in wheat seedlings by melatonin remains unclear. In this study, we investigated changes in phenotype, physiology, photosynthetic parameters, and transcript levels in wheat seedlings to reveal the role of melatonin in the regulation of salt tolerance in wheat. The results indicate that the application of exogenous melatonin significantly alleviates growth inhibition, reactive oxygen species accumulation, and membrane oxidative damage induced by salt stress in wheat. Additionally, exogenous melatonin increased antioxidant enzyme activity and regulated photosynthetic gas exchange. Transcriptomic data showed a significant up-regulation of genes encoding light-harvesting chlorophyll protein complex proteins in photosynthesis and genes related to chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis under the influence of melatonin. These results suggest that exogenous melatonin improves salt tolerance in wheat seedlings by enhancing the antioxidant, photoprotective, and photosynthesis activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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20 pages, 9657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transcriptome Analysis of Native Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) in Response to Osmotic Stress

by Jinjing Cheng, Leilei Xiang, Meizhen Yang, Ying Liu, Luyi Pan, Zhenfei Guo and Shaoyun Lu

Plants 2023, 12(23), 3971; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233971 - 25 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 731

Abstract

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is an important cool season turfgrass species with a high cold tolerance, but it is sensitive to drought. It is valuable for the applications of Kentucky bluegrass to improve its drought tolerance. However, little is known about [...] Read more.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is an important cool season turfgrass species with a high cold tolerance, but it is sensitive to drought. It is valuable for the applications of Kentucky bluegrass to improve its drought tolerance. However, little is known about the underlying drought mechanism. In the present study, transcriptomic profiling in the roots and leaves of the Kentucky bluegrass cultivar ‘Qinghai’, in response to osmotic stress in the form of treatment with 2 h and 50 h of 25% (v/v) PEG-6000, was analyzed. The results showed that a large number of genes were significantly up-regulated or down-regulated under osmotic stress. The majority of genes were up-regulated in leaves but down-regulated in roots after 2 h and 50 h of osmotic stress, among them were 350 up-regulated DEGs and 20 down-regulated DEGs shared in both leaves and roots. GO and KEGG analysis showed that carbohydrate metabolism, polyamine and amino acid metabolism and the plant hormone signaling pathway were enriched in the leaves and roots of ‘Qinghai’ after osmotic stress. The genes involving in carbohydrate metabolism were up-regulated, and sucrose, trehalose and raffinose levels were consistently increased. The genes involved in polyamine and amino acid metabolism were up-regulated in leaves in response to osmotic stress and several amino acids, such as Glu, Met and Val levels were increased, while the genes involved in photosynthesis, carbon fixation and citrate cycle in leaves were down-regulated. In addition, the genes involved in plant hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction were altered in leaves after osmotic stress. This study provided promising candidate genes for studying drought mechanisms in ‘Qinghai’ and improving the drought tolerance of Kentucky bluegrass and drought-sensitive crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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12 pages, 2178 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Morphogenesis-Related NDR Kinase Signaling Network and Its Regulation on Cold Tolerance in Maize

by Ran Tian, Sidi Xie, Junjie Zhang, Hanmei Liu, Yangping Li, Yufeng Hu, Yubi Huang and Yinghong Liu

Plants 2023, 12(20), 3639; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203639 - 21 Oct 2023

Viewed by 803

Abstract

The MOR (Morphogenesis-related NDR kinase) signaling network, initially identified in yeast, exhibits evolutionary conservation across eukaryotes and plays indispensable roles in the normal growth and development of these organisms. However, the functional role of this network and its associated genes in maize ( [...] Read more.

The MOR (Morphogenesis-related NDR kinase) signaling network, initially identified in yeast, exhibits evolutionary conservation across eukaryotes and plays indispensable roles in the normal growth and development of these organisms. However, the functional role of this network and its associated genes in maize (Zea mays) has remained elusive until now. In this study, we identified a total of 19 maize MOR signaling network genes, and subsequent co-expression analysis revealed that 12 of these genes exhibited stronger associations with each other, suggesting their potential collective regulation of maize growth and development. Further analysis revealed significant co-expression between genes involved in the MOR signaling network and several genes related to cold tolerance. All MOR signaling network genes exhibited significant co-expression with COLD1 (Chilling tolerance divergence1), a pivotal gene involved in the perception of cold stimuli, suggesting that COLD1 may directly transmit cold stress signals to MOR signaling network genes subsequent to the detection of a cold stimulus. The findings indicated that the MOR signaling network may play a crucial role in modulating cold tolerance in maize by establishing an intricate relationship with key cold tolerance genes, such as COLD1. Under low-temperature stress, the expression levels of certain MOR signaling network genes were influenced, with a significant up-regulation observed in Zm00001d010720 and a notable down-regulation observed in Zm00001d049496, indicating that cold stress regulated the MOR signaling network. We identified and analyzed a mutant of Zm00001d010720, which showed a higher sensitivity to cold stress, thereby implicating its involvement in the regulation of cold stress in maize. These findings suggested that the relevant components of the MOR signaling network are also conserved in maize and this signaling network plays a vital role in modulating the cold tolerance of maize. This study offered valuable genetic resources for enhancing the cold tolerance of maize. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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17 pages, 10662 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Overexpression of OsPIN9 Impairs Chilling Tolerance via Disturbing ROS Homeostasis in Rice

by Qiqi Ouyang, Yanwen Zhang, Xiaoyi Yang, Chong Yang, Dianyun Hou, Hao Liu and Huawei Xu

Plants 2023, 12(15), 2809; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12152809 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1321

Abstract

The auxin efflux transporter PIN-FORMED (PIN) family is one of the major protein families that facilitates polar auxin transport in plants. Here, we report that overexpression of OsPIN9 leads to altered plant architecture and chilling tolerance in rice. The expression profile analysis indicated [...] Read more.

The auxin efflux transporter PIN-FORMED (PIN) family is one of the major protein families that facilitates polar auxin transport in plants. Here, we report that overexpression of OsPIN9 leads to altered plant architecture and chilling tolerance in rice. The expression profile analysis indicated that OsPIN9 was gradually suppressed by chilling stress. The shoot height and adventitious root number of OsPIN9-overexpressing (OE) plants were significantly reduced at the seedling stage. The roots of OE plants were more tolerant to N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) treatment than WT plants, indicating the disturbance of auxin homeostasis in OE lines. The chilling tolerance assay showed that the survival rate of OE plants was markedly lower than that of wild-type (WT) plants. Consistently, more dead cells, increased electrolyte leakage, and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content were observed in OE plants compared to those in WT plants under chilling conditions. Notably, OE plants accumulated more hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and less superoxide anion radicals (

O_{2}^{-}

) than WT plants under chilling conditions. In contrast, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in OE lines decreased significantly compared to those in WT plants at the early chilling stage, implying that the impaired chilling tolerance of transgenic plants is probably attributed to the sharp induction of H₂O₂ and the delayed induction of antioxidant enzyme activities at this stage. In addition, several OsRboh genes, which play a crucial role in ROS production under abiotic stress, showed an obvious increase after chilling stress in OE plants compared to that in WT plants, which probably at least in part contributes to the production of ROS under chilling stress in OE plants. Together, our results reveal that OsPIN9 plays a vital role in regulating plant architecture and, more importantly, is involved in regulating rice chilling tolerance by influencing auxin and ROS homeostasis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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13 pages, 2440 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome and Transcriptome Identification of a Rice Germplasm with High Cadmium Uptake and Translocation

by Jin-Song Luo, Bao Guo, Yiqi He, Chun-Zhu Chen, Yong Yang and Zhenhua Zhang

Plants 2023, 12(6), 1226; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061226 - 08 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1243

Abstract

The safe production of food on Cd-polluted land is an urgent problem to be solved in South China. Phytoremediation or cultivation of rice varieties with low Cd are the main strategies to solve this problem. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the [...] Read more.

The safe production of food on Cd-polluted land is an urgent problem to be solved in South China. Phytoremediation or cultivation of rice varieties with low Cd are the main strategies to solve this problem. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the regulatory mechanism of Cd accumulation in rice. Here, we identified a rice variety with an unknown genetic background, YSD, with high Cd accumulation in its roots and shoots. The Cd content in the grains and stalks were 4.1 and 2.8 times that of a commonly used japonica rice variety, ZH11, respectively. The Cd accumulation in the shoots and roots of YSD at the seedling stage was higher than that of ZH11, depending on sampling time, and the long-distance transport of Cd in the xylem sap was high. Subcellular component analysis showed that the shoots, the cell wall, organelles, and soluble fractions of YSD, showed higher Cd accumulation than ZH11, while in the roots, only the cell wall pectin showed higher Cd accumulation. Genome-wide resequencing revealed mutations in 22 genes involved in cell wall modification, synthesis, and metabolic pathways. Transcriptome analysis in Cd-treated plants showed that the expression of pectin methylesterase genes was up-regulated and the expression of pectin methylesterase inhibitor genes was down-regulated in YSD roots, but there were no significant changes in the genes related to Cd uptake, translocation, or vacuole sequestration. The yield and tiller number per plant did not differ significantly between YSD and ZH11, but the dry weight and plant height of YSD were significantly higher than that of ZH11. YSD provides an excellent germplasm for the exploration of Cd accumulation genes, and the cell wall modification genes with sequence- and expression-level variations provide potential targets for phytoremediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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17 pages, 3023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Drought Tolerant Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Genotypes with Asian and African Backgrounds

by Cyprien Ndikuryayo, Alexis Ndayiragije, Newton Lwiyiso Kilasi and Paul Kusolwa

Plants 2023, 12(4), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040922 - 17 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2273

Abstract

Drought is among the major abiotic stresses on rice production that can cause yield losses of up to 100% under severe drought conditions. Neither of the rice varieties currently grown in Burundi can withstand very low and irregular precipitation. This study identified genotypes [...] Read more.

Drought is among the major abiotic stresses on rice production that can cause yield losses of up to 100% under severe drought conditions. Neither of the rice varieties currently grown in Burundi can withstand very low and irregular precipitation. This study identified genotypes that have putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with drought tolerance and determined their performance in the field. Two hundred and fifteen genotypes were grown in the field under both drought and irrigated conditions. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from rice leaves for further genotypic screening. The results revealed the presence of the QTLs qDTY12.1, qDTY3.1, qDTY2-2_1, and qDTY1.1 in 90%, 85%, 53%, and 22% of the evaluated genotypes, respectively. The results of the phenotypic evaluation showed a significant yield reduction due to drought stress. Yield components and other agronomic traits were also negatively affected by drought. Genotypes having high yield best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) with two or more major QTLs for drought tolerance, including IR 108044-B-B-B-3-B-B, IR 92522-45-3-1-4, and BRRI DHAN 55 are of great interest for breeding programs to improve the drought tolerance of lines or varieties with other preferred traits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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17 pages, 2842 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Tolerant and Sensitive Genotypes of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Response to Terminal Drought Stress

by Mayavan Subramani, Carlos A. Urrea, Rasheed Habib, Ketaki Bhide, Jyothi Thimmapuram and Venu Kalavacharla

Plants 2023, 12(1), 210; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12010210 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2737

Abstract

We conducted a genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of three drought tolerant and sensitive genotypes of common bean to examine their transcriptional responses to terminal drought stress. We then conducted pairwise comparisons between the root and leaf transcriptomes from the resulting tissue based on combined [...] Read more.

We conducted a genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of three drought tolerant and sensitive genotypes of common bean to examine their transcriptional responses to terminal drought stress. We then conducted pairwise comparisons between the root and leaf transcriptomes from the resulting tissue based on combined transcriptomic data from the tolerant and sensitive genotypes. Our transcriptomic data revealed that 491 (6.4%) DEGs (differentially expressed genes) were upregulated in tolerant genotypes, whereas they were downregulated in sensitive genotypes; likewise, 396 (5.1%) DEGs upregulated in sensitive genotypes were downregulated in tolerant genotypes. Several transcription factors, heat shock proteins, and chaperones were identified in the study. Several DEGs in drought DB (data Base) overlapped between genotypes. The GO (gene ontology) terms for biological processes showed upregulation of DEGs in tolerant genotypes for sulfate and drug transmembrane transport when compared to sensitive genotypes. A GO term for cellular components enriched with upregulated DEGs for the apoplast in tolerant genotypes. These results substantiated the temporal pattern of root growth (elongation and initiation of root growth), and ABA-mediated drought response in tolerant genotypes. KEGG (kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) analysis revealed an upregulation of MAPK (mitogen activated protein kinase) signaling pathways and plant hormone signaling pathways in tolerant genotypes. As a result of this study, it will be possible to uncover the molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in response to terminal drought stress in the field. Further, genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of both tolerant and sensitive genotypes will assist us in identifying potential genes that may contribute to improving drought tolerance in the common bean. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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12 pages, 3615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Locus Controlling Leaf Rolling Degree in Wheat under Drought Stress Identified by Bulked Segregant Analysis

by Xi Yang, Jingyi Wang, Xinguo Mao, Chaonan Li, Long Li, Yinghong Xue, Liheng He and Ruilian Jing

Plants 2022, 11(16), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11162076 - 09 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2031

Abstract

Drought stress frequently occurs, which seriously restricts the production of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Leaf rolling is a typical physiological phenomenon of plants during drought stress. To understand the genetic mechanism of wheat leaf rolling, we constructed an F₂ segregating population [...] Read more.

Drought stress frequently occurs, which seriously restricts the production of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Leaf rolling is a typical physiological phenomenon of plants during drought stress. To understand the genetic mechanism of wheat leaf rolling, we constructed an F₂ segregating population by crossing the slight-rolling wheat cultivar “Aikang 58” (AK58) with the serious-rolling wheat cultivar ″Zhongmai 36″ (ZM36). A combination of bulked segregant analysis (BSA) with Wheat 660K SNP Array was used to identify molecular markers linked to leaf rolling degree. A major locus for leaf rolling degree under drought stress was detected on chromosome 7A. We named this locus LEAF ROLLING DEGREE 1 (LERD1), which was ultimately mapped to a region between 717.82 and 720.18 Mb. Twenty-one genes were predicted in this region, among which the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor TraesCS7A01G543300 was considered to be the most likely candidate gene for LERD1. The TraesCS7A01G543300 is highly homologous to the Arabidopsis ICE1 family proteins ICE/SCREAM, SCREAM2 and bHLH093, which control stomatal initiation and development. Two nucleotide variation sites were detected in the promoter region of TraesCS7A01G543300 between the two wheat cultivars. Gene expression assays indicated that TraesCS7A01G543300 was higher expressed in AK58 seedlings than that of ZM36. This research discovered a candidate gene related to wheat leaf rolling under drought stress, which may be helpful for understanding the leaf rolling mechanism and molecular breeding in wheat. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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Review

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14 pages, 3154 KiB

Open AccessReview

Salt Tolerance in Soybeans: Focus on Screening Methods and Genetics

by Rong-Xia Guan, Xiao-Yang Guo, Yue Qu, Zheng-Wei Zhang, Li-Gao Bao, Rui-Yun Ye, Ru-Zhen Chang and Li-Juan Qiu

Plants 2024, 13(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010097 - 28 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1134

Abstract

Salinity greatly affects the production of soybeans in arid and semi-arid lands around the world. The responses of soybeans to salt stress at germination, emergence, and other seedling stages have been evaluated in multitudes of studies over the past decades. Considerable salt-tolerant accessions [...] Read more.

Salinity greatly affects the production of soybeans in arid and semi-arid lands around the world. The responses of soybeans to salt stress at germination, emergence, and other seedling stages have been evaluated in multitudes of studies over the past decades. Considerable salt-tolerant accessions have been identified. The association between salt tolerance responses during early and later growth stages may not be as significant as expected. Genetic analysis has confirmed that salt tolerance is distinctly tied to specific soybean developmental stages. Our understanding of salt tolerance mechanisms in soybeans is increasing due to the identification of key salt tolerance genes. In this review, we focus on the methods of soybean salt tolerance screening, progress in forward genetics, potential mechanisms involved in salt tolerance, and the importance of translating laboratory findings into field experiments via marker-assisted pyramiding or genetic engineering approaches, and ultimately developing salt-tolerant soybean varieties that produce high and stable yields. Progress has been made in the past decades, and new technologies will help mine novel salt tolerance genes and translate the mechanism of salt tolerance into new varieties via effective routes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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26 pages, 1464 KiB

Open AccessReview

Plant Tolerance to Drought Stress with Emphasis on Wheat

by Sarah Adel and Nicolas Carels

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2170; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112170 - 30 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2213

Abstract

Environmental stresses, such as drought, have negative effects on crop yield. Drought is a stress whose impact tends to increase in some critical regions. However, the worldwide population is continuously increasing and climate change may affect its food supply in the upcoming years. [...] Read more.

Environmental stresses, such as drought, have negative effects on crop yield. Drought is a stress whose impact tends to increase in some critical regions. However, the worldwide population is continuously increasing and climate change may affect its food supply in the upcoming years. Therefore, there is an ongoing effort to understand the molecular processes that may contribute to improving drought tolerance of strategic crops. These investigations should contribute to delivering drought-tolerant cultivars by selective breeding. For this reason, it is worthwhile to review regularly the literature concerning the molecular mechanisms and technologies that could facilitate gene pyramiding for drought tolerance. This review summarizes achievements obtained using QTL mapping, genomics, synteny, epigenetics, and transgenics for the selective breeding of drought-tolerant wheat cultivars. Synthetic apomixis combined with the msh1 mutation opens the way to induce and stabilize epigenomes in crops, which offers the potential of accelerating selective breeding for drought tolerance in arid and semi-arid regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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35 pages, 20380 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Potential of CRISPR/Cas Technology to Enhance Crop Performance on Adverse Soil Conditions

by Humberto A. Gajardo, Olman Gómez-Espinoza, Pedro Boscariol Ferreira, Helaine Carrer and León A. Bravo

Plants 2023, 12(9), 1892; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091892 - 05 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2893

Abstract

Worldwide food security is under threat in the actual scenery of global climate change because the major staple food crops are not adapted to hostile climatic and soil conditions. Significant efforts have been performed to maintain the actual yield of crops, using traditional [...] Read more.

Worldwide food security is under threat in the actual scenery of global climate change because the major staple food crops are not adapted to hostile climatic and soil conditions. Significant efforts have been performed to maintain the actual yield of crops, using traditional breeding and innovative molecular techniques to assist them. However, additional strategies are necessary to achieve the future food demand. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) technology, as well as its variants, have emerged as alternatives to transgenic plant breeding. This novelty has helped to accelerate the necessary modifications in major crops to confront the impact of abiotic stress on agriculture systems. This review summarizes the current advances in CRISPR/Cas applications in crops to deal with the main hostile soil conditions, such as drought, flooding and waterlogging, salinity, heavy metals, and nutrient deficiencies. In addition, the potential of extremophytes as a reservoir of new molecular mechanisms for abiotic stress tolerance, as well as their orthologue identification and edition in crops, is shown. Moreover, the future challenges and prospects related to CRISPR/Cas technology issues, legal regulations, and customer acceptance will be discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Abiotic Stress of Crops: Molecular Genetics and Genomics)

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