The genetic distance between hybridizing parents affects heterosis; however, the mechanisms for this remain unclear. Here we report that this genetic distance correlates with natural variation and epigenetic regulation of circadian clock-mediated stress responses. In intraspecific hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana, genome-wide expression of many biotic and abiotic stress-responsive genes is diurn...

Abiotic stresses such as drought, cold, and salinity affect normal growth and development in plants. The production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause oxidative stress under these abiotic conditions. Recent research has elucidated the significant role of ethylene response factor (ERF) proteins in plant adaptation to abiotic stresses. Our earlier functional analysis of an ER...

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), an environmental friendly and economic fiber crop, has a certain tolerance to abiotic stresses. Identification of reliable reference genes for transcript normalization of stress responsive genes expression by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is important for exploring the molecular mechanisms of plants response to abiotic stresses. In this study, nine candida...

Arabidopsis microRNA expression regulation was studied in a wide array of abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, salinity, copper excess/deficiency, cadmium excess, and sulfur deficiency. A home-built RT-qPCR mirEX platform for the amplification of 289 Arabidopsis microRNA transcripts was used to study their response to abiotic stresses. Small RNA sequencing, Northern hybridization, and TaqMan...

Photosynthesis is sensitive to environmental stress and must be efficiently modulated in response to abiotic stress. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here we report that ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA HOMEOBOX 17 (ATHB17), an Arabidopsis HD-Zip transcription factor, regulated the expression of a number of photosynthesis associated nuclear genes (PhANGs) involved in the light re...

Abiotic stress and climate change is the major concern for plant growth and crop yield. Abiotic stresses lead to enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) consequently resulting in cellular damage and major losses in crop yield. One of the major scavengers of ROS is ascorbate (AA) which acts as first line of defense against external oxidants. An enzyme named ascorbate oxidase (AAO)...

The APETALA2 (AP2) domain defines a large family of DNA-binding proteins that play important roles in plant morphology, development, and stress response. We describe isolation and characterization of a gene (CAP2) from chickpea (Cicer arietinum) encoding a novel AP2-family transcription factor. Recombinant CAP2 protein bound specifically to C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element in gel-shift a...

The myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factors are essential for plant stress responses. They can enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, and cold) via improved physiological biochemical responses including the accumulation of metabolites. In this study, we constructed a Panax ginseng MYB4 (PgMYB4) gene expression vector established stable transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana...

Phytohormones play a critical role in mediating plant stress response. They employ a variety of proteins for coordinating such processes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, some members of a Cys-rich protein family known as C1-clan proteins were involved in stress response, but the actual function of the protein family is largely unknown. We studied At5g17960, a C1-clan protein member that possesses thre...