Jasmonic Acid (JA) in Plant Immune Response: Unravelling Complex Molecular Mechanisms and Networking of Defence Signalling Against Pathogens
Authors (first, second and last of 9)
![](https://media.springernature.com/w290h158/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00344-024-11264-4/MediaObjects/344_2024_11264_Figa_HTML.png)
Collection
Plant growth regulators are integral to a plethora of growth and developmental activities in plants. Jasmonate and its derivatives are plant growth regulators, endogenously produced by plants during growth and development and plant stress responses. They are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and are involved in various biological processes such as seed germination, senescence, wounding-mediated programmed cell death, and plant defense. Over the last few years, biosynthesis and signaling roles of jasmonate have been well identified, characterized, and gained immense attention in the alleviation of stress-induced damages in plant systems. Moreover, jasmonate are also widely applied in improving the fruit quality traits of various horticultural crops during preharvest and postharvest storage.
Research in recent years have also shown jasmonate-mediated induction of secondary metabolites and phenolic compounds via up-regulation of transcription factor families. Active participation of jasmonate in plant involves key regulatory enzymes, proteins, and potential gene network to aid plant growth, development, and acclimation under abiotic stress conditions and to provide defense against pests and pathogens. Studies have identified that jasmonate genes and their networking components of biosynthetic and signaling pathways have provided crucial insights into plant processes mentioned above. Additionally, increasing evidence show the involvement of stress sensing signaling molecules, particularly calcium ions and reactive oxygen species (ROS) known to affect endogenous jasmonate concentrations, are reported to be effectual in conferring resilience traits under abiotic stress.
The mechanisms of jasmonate function could be utilized as a tool for the development of resilient plants under abiotic and biotic stresses, improvement of fruit quality traits, eventually leading to agricultural sustainability. However, more studies are necessary to bring about a comprehensive understanding and dynamics of jasmonate-mediated actions in plants. Additionally, studies focusing on crosstalk between jasmonate and other plant growth regulators in plant growth and defense mechanisms are needed.
This special issue focuses on emerging studies on jasmonate-mediated plant functions, not only in response to abiotic and biotic stresses, but also in leaf, root, and fruit development and ripening.
Dr. M. Iqbal R. Khan is interested in the impact of climate change on crop production. His research focuses on staple crops like wheat and rice, aiming to reduce their susceptibility to environmental stresses. He believes that plant stress physiology is a dynamic and exploratory discipline to reach the sustainable development goals (SDGs). He has optimized oxidative stress markers; evaluated the stress-responsive behavior of plant stress hormones; elucidated their influence on photosynthetic potential, source-sink capacity, growth traits, and defensive molecules under environmental stresses.
Dr. Mohammad Irfan, a plant molecular biologist, explores the intricate connections between abiotic stresses and fruit quality traits of horticultural crops using cutting-edge techniques of transcriptomics, metabolomics, and functional genomics to gain a comprehensive understanding of these complex pathways. Actively engaged in the global scientific community, Dr. Irfan is a valued member of several international professional societies. In addition to editorial roles in renowned international journals, his research portfolio boasts over 45 publications in various top peer-reviewed journals, accompanied by several books and book chapters.
Dr Péter Poór is an associate professor at the Dept of Plant Biology, University of Szeged since 2017, leading the Plant Stress Physiology and Photosynthesis group. His main research area is plant defence hormones such as salicylic acid, ethylene & jasmonic acid; and understanding plant defence mechanisms against environmental (salt, drought, light) and biotic stresses. He focuses mainly on tomato & wheat plants. The analysis and influence of various defence-related compounds, like defensins, polyamines & GST, are central to his research to develop effective methods & solutions for improved plant protection and sustainable crop production.