Mohammed Majid Abed^1,2,*, Murat Aydin¹, Esma Yiğider¹, Melek Ekinci³, Ertan Yildirim³

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.12, pp. 3845-3860, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.073163 - 29 December 2025

Abstract Plants are continuously exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses that threaten their growth, reproduction, and survival. Adaptation to these stresses requires complex regulatory networks that coordinate physiological, molecular, and ecological responses. However, such adaptation often incurs significant costs, including reduced growth, yield penalties, and altered ecological interactions. This review systematically synthesizes recent advances published between 2018 and 2025, following PRISMA criteria, on plant responses to abiotic and biotic stressors, with an emphasis on the trade-offs between adaptation and productivity. It also highlights major discrepancies in the literature and discusses strategies for enhancing plant stress tolerance More >

Nadia Lamsaadi¹, Oumaima Maarouf², Soukaina Lahmaoui², Hamid Msaad², Omar Farssi², Chaima Hamim², Mohamed Tamoudjout², Hafsa Hirt², Habiba Kamal², Majida El Hassni², Cherki Ghoulam^3,4, Ahmed El Moukhtari^5,*, Mohamed Farissi²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.11, pp. 3585-3610, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.072311 - 01 December 2025

Abstract Abiotic stresses, such as drought, heavy metals, salinity, and extreme temperatures, are among the most common adverse threats that restrict the use of land for agriculture and limit crop growth and productivity. As sessile organisms, plants defend themselves from abiotic stresses by developing various tolerance mechanisms. These mechanisms are governed by several biochemical traits. The biochemical mechanisms are the products of key genes that express under specific conditions. Interestingly, the expression of these genes is regulated by specialized proteins known as transcription factors (TFs). Several TFs, including those from the bZIP, bHLH, MYB, HSF, WRKY,… More >

Chengyi Zou¹, Sara Zafar^2,*, Umbreen Bibi², Manzar Abbas³, Zuhair Hasnain^4,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.3, pp. 603-621, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.062560 - 31 March 2025

Abstract Soil metal pollution is a global issue due to its toxic nature affecting ecosystems and human health. This has become a concern since metals are non-biodegradable and toxic. Most of the reclamation methods currently used for soils rely on the use of physical and chemical means, which tend to be very expensive and result in secondary environmental damage. However, microbe-aided phytoremediation is gaining attention as it is an eco-friendly, affordable, and technically advanced method to restore the ecosystem. It is essential to understand the complex interaction between plants and microbes. The primary function of plant… More > Graphic Abstract

Antonio Rodrigues da Cunha Neto¹, Alexandra dos Santos Ambrósio¹, Arlinda de Jesus Rodrigues Resende¹, Breno Régis Santos¹, Michele Carla Nadal^2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.3, pp. 539-560, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.061776 - 31 March 2025

Abstract Cytokinins are plant hormones that are essential for plant growth and development and are involved in a variety of processes. They are synthesized by the modification of adenine with an isoprenoid chain, resulting in cytokinins such as isopentenyladenine and zeatin. The levels of these hormones are regulated by conjugation, degradation and oxidation processes that modulate their activity. Cytokinins are perceived by cells through specific receptors that, when activated, trigger signaling cascades responsible for regulating the expression of genes critical for development. In addition, cytokinins interact with other hormones, such as auxins, to coordinate plant growth… More >

Jalil Ahmad^1,*, Muhammad Munir^2,*, Nashi Alqahtani^2,3, Tahira Alyas⁴, Muhammad Ahmad⁵, Sadia Bashir⁶, Fasiha Qurashi⁷, Abdul Ghafoor⁸, Hassan Ali–Dinar²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.2, pp. 281-302, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.061534 - 06 March 2025

Abstract A steady rise in the overall population is creating an overburden on crops due to their global demand. On the other hand, given the current climate change and population growth, agricultural practices established during the Green Revolution are no longer viable. Consequently, innovative practices are the prerequisite of the time struggle with the rising global food demand. The potential of nanotechnology to reduce the phytotoxic effects of these ecological restrictions has shown significant promise. Nanoparticles (NPs) typically enhance plant resilience to stressors by fortifying the physical barrier, optimizing photosynthesis, stimulating enzymatic activity for defense, elevating More >

Xianwen Ji^#, Ziying Jiang^#, Jichao Wang, Lili Dong, Xinyi Deng^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.8, pp. 1839-1850, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.052809 - 30 August 2024

Abstract Genes in the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) family are essential in regulating plant response to stressful conditions. This study employed bioinformatics to uncover the GSK3 gene family from the sunflower genome database. The expressions of GSK3 genes in different tissues and stress treatments, such as salt, drought, and cold, were assessed using transcriptome sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The study results revealed that the 12 GSK3 genes of sunflower, belonging to four classes (Classes I–IV), contained the GSK3 kinase domain and 11–13 exons. The majority of GSK3 genes were highly expressed in the leaf axil and… More >

Tongman Zhao^1,2,#, Yujie Fan^1,2,#, Yabing Cao^1,2, Xiaogai Zhao^1,2, Guoqiang Fan^1,2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.92, No.9, pp. 2473-2488, 2023, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2023.029469 - 28 July 2023

Abstract Somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinases (SERKs) are receptor-like proteins that contain leucine-rich repeats and are involved in various signaling pathways. This study identified SERK family members in the Paulownia fortunei genome and analyzed their characteristics and expression profiles using bioinformatics methods. We identified 12 SERK genes with relatively conserved gene structures and motifs that were distributed unevenly on eight Paulownia chromosomes. The gene promoters contained various cis-acting elements that regulated the expression of the PfSERK genes in response to hormones and abiotic stresses. Synteny analysis indicated that 10 segmental duplication events had occurred during evolution of the PfSERK family. The More >

Xiaojie Jing^1,2,3,#, Chunyan Li^1,2,3,#, Chengjuan Luo^1,2,3, Chaonan Yao^1,2,3, Jiahao Zhang^1,2,3, Tingting Zhu^1,2,3, Jiuguang Wang^1,2,3, Chaoxian Liu^1,2,3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.92, No.3, pp. 707-723, 2023, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2023.024338 - 29 November 2022

Abstract The zinc finger homeodomain (ZF-HD) genes belong to the homeobox gene family, playing critical roles in flower development and stress response. Despite their importance, however, to date there has been no genome-wide identification and characterization of the ZF-HD genes that are probably involved in stress responses in maize. In this study, 24 ZF-HD genes were identified, and their chromosomal locations, protein properties, duplication patterns, structures, conserved motifs and expression patterns were investigated. The results revealed that the ZF-HD genes are unevenly distributed on nine chromosomes and that most of these genes lack introns. Six and… More >

XIN LI¹, JIANMIN PAN¹, FAISAL ISLAM², JUANJUAN LI¹, ZHUONI HOU¹, ZONGQI YANG¹, LING XU^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.8, pp. 1947-1958, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019806 - 22 April 2022

Abstract NAC (NAM, ATAF, CUC) is a class of transcription factors involved in plant growth regulation, abiotic stress responses, morphogenesis and metabolism. Salvia miltiorrhiza is an important Chinese medicinal herb, but the characterization of NAC genes in this species is limited. In this study, based on the Salvia miltiorrhiza genomic databases, 82 NAC transcription factors were identified, which were divided into 14 groups. Meanwhile, phylogenetic analysis, gene structure, chromosomal localization and potential role of SmNACs in abiotic stress conditions were also studied. The results revealed that some SmNACs had different structures than others, which advised that these genes may have multiple/distinct More >

JIANMIN PAN¹, XIN LI¹, JUANJUAN LI¹, HUI LIU², ZHUONI HOU¹, ZONGQI YANG¹, LING XU^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.7, pp. 1751-1762, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019455 - 17 March 2022

Abstract Plant U-box (PUB) E3 ubiquitin ligases play important roles in hormone signaling pathways and in response to different abiotic stresses, but little is known about U-box genes in Danshen (root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge). Here, we identified and characterized 70 SmPUB genes based on its genome sequence. Phylogenetic analysis of U-box genes from S. miltiorrhiza and Arabidopsis suggested that they can be clustered into seven subgroups (I–VII). Typical U-box domains were found in all identified SmPUB genes through the analysis of conserved motifs. Moreover, qRT-PCR was applied to analyze the relative expression levels of U-box genes in S. miltiorrhiza roots and More >