Reproductive development is an essential phase during the life cycle of flowering plants. It ensures preservation of karyotypic configuration and genomic stability, and additionally creates novel genetic variation in the offspring. Being sedentary organisms, plants are constantly exposed to fluctuations in their environment and particularly reproductive development is extremely susceptible to adverse conditions. Studies in wild and domesticated plants have shown that both biotic and abiotic stresses interfere with several key reproductive processes, including phase transitions, flowering induction, sporogenesis and gamete formation, thereby often causing sterility due to gametophyte malformation or seed abortion. Particularly in the current context of global warming and climate change with plants being more intensively challenged by extreme environmental conditions, insights into the sensitivity and physiological response of the reproductive pathway to external stress, as well as the molecular mechanisms to tackle this, are highly relevant for both plant evolution and crop productivity.
This Research collection aims at highlighting the latest advances in our understanding of plant stress responses during reproductive development, with a main focus on physiological, cellular and biochemical effects as well as on underlying genetic determination and molecular control (i.e. stress signaling, pathway activation, tolerance/resistance mechanisms). We welcome all types of manuscripts including Original Research articles, Method papers, Mini Reviews, Opinion papers, Perspective, Reviews and Systematic Reviews.
The scope of this Research Topic on “Plant Reproduction under Environmental Stress” is centered but not limited on the following biological processes:
- Vegetative to reproductive phase transition
- Flowering induction and flower morphogenesis
- Sporogenesis and meiosis
- Female gametophyte development and ovule integrity
- Male gametophyte development and pollen viability
- Pollen-pistil interactions
- Fertilization
- Seed and fruit development
Reproductive development is an essential phase during the life cycle of flowering plants. It ensures preservation of karyotypic configuration and genomic stability, and additionally creates novel genetic variation in the offspring. Being sedentary organisms, plants are constantly exposed to fluctuations in their environment and particularly reproductive development is extremely susceptible to adverse conditions. Studies in wild and domesticated plants have shown that both biotic and abiotic stresses interfere with several key reproductive processes, including phase transitions, flowering induction, sporogenesis and gamete formation, thereby often causing sterility due to gametophyte malformation or seed abortion. Particularly in the current context of global warming and climate change with plants being more intensively challenged by extreme environmental conditions, insights into the sensitivity and physiological response of the reproductive pathway to external stress, as well as the molecular mechanisms to tackle this, are highly relevant for both plant evolution and crop productivity.
This Research collection aims at highlighting the latest advances in our understanding of plant stress responses during reproductive development, with a main focus on physiological, cellular and biochemical effects as well as on underlying genetic determination and molecular control (i.e. stress signaling, pathway activation, tolerance/resistance mechanisms). We welcome all types of manuscripts including Original Research articles, Method papers, Mini Reviews, Opinion papers, Perspective, Reviews and Systematic Reviews.
The scope of this Research Topic on “Plant Reproduction under Environmental Stress” is centered but not limited on the following biological processes:
- Vegetative to reproductive phase transition
- Flowering induction and flower morphogenesis
- Sporogenesis and meiosis
- Female gametophyte development and ovule integrity
- Male gametophyte development and pollen viability
- Pollen-pistil interactions
- Fertilization
- Seed and fruit development
