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Review
. 2024 Aug 29;25(17):9404.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25179404.

Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Rice Tolerance to Salt and Drought Stress: Advances and Future Directions

Qingyang Li  1   2 , Peiwen Zhu  2 , Xinqiao Yu  2 , Junying Xu  1 , Guolan Liu  2
Affiliations
Review

Physiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Rice Tolerance to Salt and Drought Stress: Advances and Future Directions

Qingyang Li et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Rice, a globally important food crop, faces significant challenges due to salt and drought stress. These abiotic stresses severely impact rice growth and yield, manifesting as reduced plant height, decreased tillering, reduced biomass, and poor leaf development. Recent advances in molecular biology and genomics have uncovered key physiological and molecular mechanisms that rice employs to cope with these stresses, including osmotic regulation, ion balance, antioxidant responses, signal transduction, and gene expression regulation. Transcription factors such as DREB, NAC, and bZIP, as well as plant hormones like ABA and GA, have been identified as crucial regulators. Utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 technology for gene editing holds promise for significantly enhancing rice stress tolerance. Future research should integrate multi-omics approaches and smart agriculture technologies to develop rice varieties with enhanced stress resistance, ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture in the face of global environmental changes.

Keywords: gene editing; multi-omics; physiological and molecular mechanisms; salt and drought stress; smart agriculture; transcription factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comprehensive overview of rice responses to salt and drought stress: mechanisms, impacts, and future research directions (image created in BioRen-der.com accessed on 16 August 2024).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The image illustrates the physiological, biochemical, morphological, and yield changes in rice under salt stress (A) and drought stress (B). The red font indicates changes that occur under both types of stress, while the blue font highlights changes specific to each stress type.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanisms of rice responses to salt and drought stress. This diagram illustrates the mechanisms of rice responses to salt and drought stress, emphasizing both unique pathways and overlapping mechanisms. The color coding used is as follows: blue arrows and boxes represent pathways and mechanisms specific to salt stress, yellow arrows and boxes indicate those unique to drought stress, and green arrows and boxes highlight pathways shared by both salt and drought stress responses. This color distinction emphasizes the similarities and differences between the two types of stress and aids in understanding their interrelations.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Transcription factor network in rice responding to salt and drought stress. This diagram illustrates the TF regulatory network in rice under salt and drought stress conditions. It includes several key TFs such as DREB, NAC, bZIP, WRKY, MYB, AP2/ERF, and other TFs, along with their specific binding elements like DRE/CRT, NACR, ABRE, W-box, MYBRS, and others. These TFs regulate the expression of _target stress-responsive genes through these binding elements, aiding the plant in coping with environmental stress. The arrows represent the regulatory relationships between different TFs and their impact on _target genes, highlighting the complex gene regulatory networks involved in plant stress resistance.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic representation of the hormonal signaling pathways involved in stress tolerance and plant growth regulation in rice. (A) The ABA (abscisic acid) signaling pathway: ABA binds to its receptors (PYR/PYL/RCAR), which inhibits PP2C phosphatases, allowing the activation of SnRK2 kinases. Activated SnRK2 then phosphorylates and activates the ABF/AREB transcription factors, which regulate the expression of stress-responsive genes, enhancing stress tolerance. (B) The GA (gibberellin) signaling pathway: Gibberellin (GA) binds to its receptor GID1, leading to the degradation of DELLA proteins via the 26S proteasome pathway. The degradation of DELLA releases its inhibitory effect on plant growth, thereby promoting growth and also indirectly contributing to enhanced stress tolerance.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Improved salinity and drought stress tolerance in rice. The image depicts a robust rice plant thriving in cracked, dry soil, symbolizing resilience under salinity and drought stress conditions. Surrounding the central image are five key areas of research and development that contribute to enhancing rice tolerance to these stresses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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