Protein Metabolism in Plants and Algae under Abiotic Stress

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 3322

Special Issue Editors

Ricercatore di Fisiologia Vegetale, Università di Napoli, Federico II, Naples, Italy
Interests: crops; landraces; glucose metabolism; NGS; abiotic stress; algal biotechnology; synthetic biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare (CNR-ICB), Pozzuoli, Italy
Interests: microalgae; algal biotechnology; chloroplast transformation; recombinant proteins; extracellular vesicles; immune system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The improvement of plants so they can face adverse conditions remains a huge challenge for plant researchers. Photosynthetic organisms, including plants, macro and microalgae, are able to modify different aspects of their physiology and metabolism by adjusting their resilience and/or resistance to abiotic perturbations. This ability has important real-word consequences considering the climate change scenario and the effects of increasingly anthropogenic pollution.

This Special Issue is soliciting for papers and reviews that describe novel and innovative research in the field of protein metabolism in plants and algae subjected to abiotic stress in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Researchers are encouraged to submit papers that explore the roles, regulation and applications of proteins in response to conventional (e.g., drought, salinity, high and low temperatures) and modern-day (e.g. microplastics and nanoplastics) stresses. Further, papers focused on recombinant enzyme and engineering approaches in order to understand the role of proteins in the signalling and regulatory pathways involved in plant stress response are also welcomed.

Dr. Simone Landi
Dr. Daniela Castiglia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • abiotic stress
  • metabolic responses
  • engineering approaches
  • stress tolerance
  • drought
  • salinity
  • cold
  • microplastic
  • heavy metals

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3073 KiB  
Article
Determination of the Toxic Effects of Heavy Metals on the Morpho-Anatomical Responses of the Leaf of Typha latifolia as a Biomonitoring Tool
by Nedjma Mamine, Nedjoud Grara, Fadila Khaldi, Viviana Maresca, Khaoula Aouaichia and Adriana Basile
Plants 2024, 13(2), 176; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants13020176 - 09 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Typha latifolia leaves act as sensitive barometers for trace heavy metal pollution, as revealed by their pronounced anatomical responses in a constructed wetland. Monthly water samples and Typha latifolia leaf tissue were collected over three consecutive months in 2018 from the Burgas Lake wetlands (Taoura), [...] Read more.
Typha latifolia leaves act as sensitive barometers for trace heavy metal pollution, as revealed by their pronounced anatomical responses in a constructed wetland. Monthly water samples and Typha latifolia leaf tissue were collected over three consecutive months in 2018 from the Burgas Lake wetlands (Taoura), northeast Algeria. While physical and chemical parameters improved after treatment, atomic absorption spectrometry (Perkin Elmer A Analyst 800 AAS) detected persistent trace levels of cadmium, chromium, and lead in both the treated water and leaf tissue, highlighting the need for continued phytoremediation efforts. Microscopic examination of leaf tissue exposed to these metals revealed distinct anatomical adaptations, including shrunken vascular bundles, altered cell shapes, and stomatal closure. These findings underscore Typha latifolia’s effectiveness in accumulating heavy metals and its potential as a highly sensitive biomonitor for persistent pollution in lake ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein Metabolism in Plants and Algae under Abiotic Stress)
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11 pages, 1569 KiB  
Article
Seed Priming by Low-Dose Radiation Improves Growth of Lactuca sativa and Valerianella locusta
by Maria Cristina Sorrentino, Angelo Granata, Martina Cantalupo, Lorenzo Manti, Mariagabriella Pugliese, Simonetta Giordano, Fiore Capozzi and Valeria Spagnuolo
Plants 2024, 13(2), 165; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants13020165 - 08 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Valerian salad and lettuce are edible species that are easy to grow rapidly, and have traits useful for commercial purposes. The consumption of these species is increasing worldwide for their nutritional properties. Seed germination and seedling development are critical stages in the life [...] Read more.
Valerian salad and lettuce are edible species that are easy to grow rapidly, and have traits useful for commercial purposes. The consumption of these species is increasing worldwide for their nutritional properties. Seed germination and seedling development are critical stages in the life cycle of plants. Seed priming, including the use of high-energy radiation, is a set of techniques based on the idea that low stress levels stimulate plant responses, thereby improving seed germination and plant growth. In this study, we evaluated in hydroponic culture (i) the germination performance; (ii) morphological traits; and (iii) antioxidant and phenol contents at different endpoints in Lactuca sativa and Valerianella locusta that were developed from seeds exposed to X-rays (1 Gy and 10 Gy doses). Under radiation, biomass production increased in both species, especially in lettuce, where also a reduction in the mean germination time occurred. Radiation increased the level of phenols during the first growth weeks, under both doses for lettuce, and only 1 Gy was required for valerian salad. The species-specific responses observed in this research suggest that the use of radiations in seed priming needs to be customized to the species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein Metabolism in Plants and Algae under Abiotic Stress)
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Review

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17 pages, 1656 KiB  
Review
Plastic in the Environment: A Modern Type of Abiotic Stress for Plant Physiology
by Giorgia Santini, Daniela Castiglia, Maryanna Martina Perrotta, Simone Landi, Giulia Maisto and Sergio Esposito
Plants 2023, 12(21), 3717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants12213717 - 29 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1351
Abstract
In recent years, plastic pollution has become a growing environmental concern: more than 350 million tons of plastic material are produced annually. Although many efforts have been made to recycle waste, a significant proportion of these plastics contaminate and accumulate in the environment. [...] Read more.
In recent years, plastic pollution has become a growing environmental concern: more than 350 million tons of plastic material are produced annually. Although many efforts have been made to recycle waste, a significant proportion of these plastics contaminate and accumulate in the environment. A central point in plastic pollution is demonstrated by the evidence that plastic objects gradually and continuously split up into smaller pieces, thus producing subtle and invisible pollution caused by microplastics (MP) and nanoplastics (NP). The small dimensions of these particles allow for the diffusion of these contaminants in farmlands, forest, freshwater, and oceans worldwide, posing serious menaces to human, animal, and plant health. The uptake of MPs and NPs into plant cells seriously affects plant growth, development, and photosynthesis, finally limiting crop yields and endangering natural environmental biodiversity. Furthermore, nano- and microplastics—once adsorbed by plants—can easily enter the food chain, being highly toxic to animals and humans. This review addresses the impacts of MP and NP particles on plants in the terrestrial environment. In particular, we provide an overview here of the detrimental effects of photosynthetic injuries, oxidative stress, ROS production, and protein damage triggered by MN and NP in higher plants and, more specifically, in crops. The possible damage at the physiological and environmental levels is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein Metabolism in Plants and Algae under Abiotic Stress)
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