Jul 2026· International Journal of Molecular Sciences· Vol 27, pp. 6692· 0 citations· 121 references
Medicine
TL;DR
A comprehensive theoretical framework linking physiological responses, molecular regulatory networks and practical field technologies is constructed, offering systematic theoretical references and technical guidance for salt-tolerant germplasm innovation and environmentally sustainable viticulture on saline soils.
Abstract
Soil salinization has become a major global abiotic threat restricting sustainable viticulture, especially in coastal and inland saline–alkali zones. Unlike cereal crops mainly suffering from sodium toxicity, grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is a typical chloride-sensitive woody perennial, subjected to superimposed damages of osmotic stress, ionic imbalance and secondary oxidative injury under saline conditions which severely suppress vegetative growth and degrade berry quality. This review systematically summarizes the multi-layered physiological adaptive mechanisms of grapevine against salt stress, including ion homeostasis maintained by salt overly sensitive (SOS), Na+/H+ exchanger (NHX) and chloride channel (CLC) transporter families, active accumulation of osmoprotectants, synergistic enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, and phytohormone crosstalk networks formed by endogenous phytohormones (abscisic acid, ABA; jasmonic acid, JA; salicylic acid, SA; brassinosteroid, BR) and small signaling molecules. We further elaborate comprehensive molecular regulatory cascades governing salt tolerance, covering core functional genes for ion transport, master transcription factor families WRKY, MYB, APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor (AP2/ERF), NAC, basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) and emerging epigenetic regulatory layers mediated by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation, microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). In addition, we integrate four categories of field mitigation strategies for saline vineyards: germplasm improvement via salt-tolerant rootstock grafting, rhizosphere soil basal amendment, exogenous biostimulant regulation, and precision agronomic optimization. Current experimental systems do not fully recapitulate complex field combined-stress conditions, as most studies rely on laboratory single-salt stress simulation. Meanwhile, multi-omics, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) gene editing and high-throughput phenotyping tools provide promising approaches to deepen our understanding of grape salt tolerance. This review constructs a comprehensive theoretical framework linking physiological responses, molecular regulatory networks and practical field technologies, offering systematic theoretical references and technical guidance for salt-tolerant germplasm innovation and environmentally sustainable viticulture on saline soils.
This review synthesizes recent advances in elucidating the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in Vitis vinifera to provide an integrative conceptual framework to support sustainable viticulture in water-limited environments.
Saline soil and drought are among the most devastating abiotic stresses constraining sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production globally, with soil salinity affecting over 1,125 Mha worldwide and drought causing severe yield losses in tropical and subtropical agroecosystems. As a glycophytic C4 crop supplying ~80% of the world’s sugar, sugarcane is particularly vulnerable, with threshold salinity tolerance at a mere 1.7 dS m–1 electrical conductivity (EC). This review integrates recent developments in the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of sugarcane during stress conditions. Under salinity, photosynthetic CO2 efficiency, chlorophyll integrity, source–sink partitioning, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, phytohormone signaling, and osmolyte accumulation are altered based on the sugarcane cultivars and cultivation regions. Under drought, stomatal regulation, root hydraulics, abscisic acid (ABA) cascades, and the expression of dehydrin and late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins govern tolerance. At the molecular level, ion-transporter genes (SOS pathway), DREB/ERF transcription factors, aquaporins, and small RNAs constitute central regulatory hubs. Mitigation strategies, including agronomic interventions, exogenous osmoprotectants, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, biochar amendment, and advanced breeding tools such as CRISPR/Cas9, marker-assisted selection, and transgenic approaches, are comprehensively discussed for sustainable sugarcane production.
K. Verma, Xiu-peng Song, Qiang Liang et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Soil salinity is a major threat to crop productivity, sustainable agriculture, and global food security, with more than 833 million hectares of land affected worldwide. Salt stress restricts plant growth through osmotic stress, ion toxicity, oxidative damage, membrane disruption, reduced photosynthesis, and yield loss. Plants respond through coordinated regulatory networks that connect early stress perception with ion balance, osmotic adjustment, hormone signaling, transcript regulation, and protein modification. Recent advances have identified several sensory and signaling modules involved in salinity responses, including calcium signaling, receptor like kinases, FERONIA, OSCA, MOCA, annexins, and mechanosensitive channels that detect ionic, osmotic, and mechanical changes. Established pathways such as the SOS pathway and GABA shunt are included as established background mechanisms for sodium homeostasis and metabolic adjustment under saline conditions. Hormonal networks involving abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, auxin, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids coordinate root architecture, stomatal control, antioxidant defense, growth restraint, and post-stress recovery. Emerging regulatory layers mediated by microRNAs, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and SUMOylation further fine tune transcript stability, protein activity, ion transport, redox balance, and stress resilience. A central challenge is the translational gap between model species and crops, since many mechanisms defined in Arabidopsis and rice still lack functional validation in major crop species and halophytes. Integrating conserved and species dependent mechanisms with crop centered validation will help convert molecular knowledge into breeding, genome editing, and management strategies for saline agriculture.
Muhammad Usman, Li Wang, Xiaojuan An et al.· Plant Science· 0 citations
Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes, heavy metals, and pesticide toxicity, severely impact plant growth and productivity, primarily through the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metabolic imbalances. In the era of climate change and declining agricultural sustainability, the development of stress-resilient crops has become essential for ensuring global food and nutritional security. Millets, also known as ‘super grain’ or ‘miracle grain’ due to their nutritional value, are recognized for their inherent resilience and exhibit superior adaptability in arid and semi-arid ecosystems towards these abiotic stresses. It is due to their C4 photosynthetic efficiency, rapid life cycles, and deep root architecture. These cereals deploy integrated morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms, including antioxidant defense systems, osmolyte accumulation, stress-responsive gene expression, and hormonal regulation to maintain homeostasis under stress. Despite these traits, millet improvement lags behind that of major cereals due to limited breeding efforts and underdeveloped molecular resources. This review focuses on recent advances in stress tolerance mechanisms, highlighting omics-driven insights, microbial and phytohormonal mitigation strategies, and exploring genome editing and modern breeding tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and genome-wide association studies (GWAS), for developing climate-resilient millet cultivars suitable for sustainable agriculture and future food security. The article explores the development of climate-resilient millet varieties by integrating molecular innovations into traditional agronomic practices, which will provide future benefits framework for developing new varieties. Overall, the article will deepen understanding of the molecular processes underlying stress responses and provide targeted solutions to enhance stress tolerance in millets.
Amandeep Singh, S. Kaushik, Manu Sharma et al.· Discover Plants· 0 citations
Simple Summary Soil salinization and alkalinization severely restrict crop growth and agricultural production in cold highland areas. Most previous studies on oats have only focused on single-salt stress, whereas systematic and multi-dimensional investigations of oat responses to compound salt–alkali stress remain limited. In this study, three oat cultivars with distinct salt tolerance levels were selected to investigate their growth performance, physiological responses, and internal metabolic regulation under compound salt–alkali stress that simulates the soil environment of local highland regions. The results indicated that compound salt–alkali stress significantly inhibited oat growth and induced cellular damage. The highly salt-tolerant oat cultivars exhibited superior stress adaptability by enhancing the activities of protective enzymes and accumulating osmoprotective substances. Key metabolic pathways associated with stress tolerance were identified, among which flavonoid biosynthesis played a critical role in stress resistance. Specifically, tolerant oat cultivars activated both defensive response and energy metabolism pathways to cope with stress, while sensitive cultivars only displayed basic passive stress responses. These findings provide valuable insights for the screening and breeding of salt–alkali-tolerant oat cultivars, and support the sustainable development of agriculture in cold highland regions.
Hongna Dou, Xiaoli Wei, Hao Sun et al.· Biology· 0 citations
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) represents one of the most critical grain legumes for direct human consumption, providing vital dietary protein, micronutrients, and calories worldwide. However, as an extreme glycophyte, Phaseolus vulgaris exhibits pronounced sensitivity to soil salinization, suffering severe yield penalties at electrical conductivity levels exceeding standard agricultural thresholds. Soil salinity inflicts primary osmotic shock and secondary cytotoxic ionic accumulation, which collectively compromise cell division, tissue elongation, photosynthetic efficiency, and membrane stability. Salinity also triggers excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and premature organ senescence. Furthermore, the Rhizobium–legume symbiosis and biological nitrogen fixation apparatus within root nodules are exceptionally vulnerable to hyperosmotic and saline environments. This review synthesizes empirical findings across morphological, physiological, biochemical, transcriptomic, and genomic layers of salt stress responses in Phaseolus vulgaris. Furthermore, comprehensively evaluates salinity-induced perturbations in water relations, photosynthetic carbon assimilation, ion transport kinetics, antioxidant defenses, and nodulation biology, alongside modern genetic mapping and agronomic mitigation approaches.
Taufiq Shaikh, N. Labhane· SARPS: Journal of Advanced R...· 0 citations