Molecular Links between Flowering and Abiotic Stress Response: A Focus on Poaceae

Abstract

Extreme temperatures, drought, salinity and soil pollution are the most common types of abiotic stresses crops can encounter in fields; these variations represent a general warning to plant productivity and survival, being more harmful when in combination. Plant response to such conditions involves the activation of several molecular mechanisms, starting from perception to signaling, transcriptional reprogramming and protein modifications. This can influence the plant’s life cycle and development to different extents. Flowering developmental transition is very sensitive to environmental stresses, being critical to reproduction and to agricultural profitability for crops. The Poacee family contains some of the most widespread domesticated plants, such as wheat, barley and rice, which are commonly referred to as cereals and represent a primary food source. In cultivated Poaceae, stress-induced modifications of flowering time and development cause important yield losses by directly affecting seed production. At the molecular level, this reflects important changes in gene expression and protein activity. Here, we present a comprehensive overview on the latest research investigating the molecular pathways linking flowering control to osmotic and temperature extreme conditions in agronomically relevant monocotyledons. This aims to provide hints for biotechnological strategies that can ensure agricultural stability in ever-changing climatic conditions.

Extensive post-transcriptional regulation revealed by integrative transcriptome and proteome analyses in salicylic acid-induced flowering in duckweed (Lemna gibba)

“…Notably, these HSPs were identified exclusively at the transcriptomic or proteomic level, strongly suggesting the involvement of HSPs in SA-induced flowering through post-transcriptional regulation. These results also established possible molecular connections between flowering and abiotic stresses as recently proposed ( Chirivi and Betti, 2023 ).…”

Drought stress induces early flowering and the stress tolerance of offspring in <i>Petunia hybrida</i>

“…Under moderate drought, plants adopted a drought avoidance strategy; that is, they tended to delay flowering and reduce RGR as a form of adaptation to limited energy availability. In other studies, plants adopting this strategy showed reduced water loss through transpiration and minimal metabolic activity (Chirivì and Betti 2023;Toscano et al 2019).…”

“…Plants generally respond to drought stress by delaying flowering and reducing growth to adapt to limited energy availability (Chirivì and Betti 2023;Toscano et al 2019). In a different strategy, drought-stressed plants induce early flowering to complete their life cycle and overcome unfavorable environmental conditions (Franks 2011;Sivakumar and Srividhya 2016).…”

Surviving a Double-Edged Sword: Response of Horticultural Crops to Multiple Abiotic Stressors

“…The horticultural crop industry is economically important and the lifeline of world food security [3]. Due to their intolerant nature, horticultural crops cannot endure abiotic stresses and are more affected than agronomic crops [4]. The quality of horticultural products is negatively impacted by abiotic stressors that occur during postharvest handling [5].…”