Bioinformatics Resources for Plant Abiotic Stress Responses: State of the Art and Opportunities in the Fast Evolving -Omics Era

Abstract

Abiotic stresses are among the principal limiting factors for productivity in agriculture. In the current era of continuous climate changes, the understanding of the molecular aspects involved in abiotic stress response in plants is a priority. The rise of -omics approaches provides key strategies to promote effective research in the field, facilitating the investigations from reference models to an increasing number of species, tolerant and sensitive genotypes. Integrated multilevel approaches, based on molecular investigations at genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics levels, are now feasible, expanding the opportunities to clarify key molecular aspects involved in responses to abiotic stresses. To this aim, bioinformatics has become fundamental for data production, mining and integration, and necessary for extracting valuable information and for comparative efforts, paving the way to the modeling of the involved processes. We provide here an overview of bioinformatics resources for research on plant abiotic stresses, describing collections from -omics efforts in the field, ranging from raw data to complete databases or platforms, highlighting opportunities and still open challenges in abiotic stress research based on -omics technologies.

Applications of Multi-Omics Technologies for Crop Improvement

“…Notably, the integration of omics approaches (i.e., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) has increased our understanding molecular processes associated with abiotic stress responses in plants (Cramer et al, 2011;Jogaiah et al, 2013). Nonetheless, bioinformatics consolidates with these omics approaches and provides base for collecting information for plant abiotic stresses (Ambrosino et al, 2020). Thus, bioinformatics is indispensable for data mining and organization (data production) in support of different omics technologies (Ambrosino et al, 2020).…”

“…Nonetheless, bioinformatics consolidates with these omics approaches and provides base for collecting information for plant abiotic stresses (Ambrosino et al, 2020). Thus, bioinformatics is indispensable for data mining and organization (data production) in support of different omics technologies (Ambrosino et al, 2020). Furthermore, bioinformatics interprets information about the functional system of genes provided by such robust technologies.…”

Can omics deliver temperature resilient ready-to-grow crops?

“…Integrated omics approaches provide a basic understanding of the molecular aspects involved in abiotic stresses. However, bioinformatics consolidates with these omics approaches favoring enhancing the scientific knowledge of biological functionalities and also provide new perspectives for increasing tolerance in crops against biotic and abiotic stress [150]. Bioinformatics involves data production (data mining and organization) supporting omics technologies.…”

Will Plant Genome Editing Play a Decisive Role in “Quantum-Leap” Improvements in Crop Yield to Feed an Increasing Global Human Population?

“…Genomic databases have been powerful in integrating data from multiple studies, and international efforts are now bringing together phenotypic data alongside genotypic data (e.g., [ 186 , 187 , 188 , 189 ]. However, most GO annotations are incomplete and imperfect [ 34 , 35 , 190 , 191 ].…”