Interaction between hypoxic signaling and plant defense responses to fungal pathogens

The research activity aims to investigate the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the molecular mechanisms through which abiotic stress signaling — including hypoxia (low oxygen availability), drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures — modulates plant immune responses against fungal pathogens. The study seeks to clarify whether and how miRNAs mediate the interference between these pathways and resistance mechanisms, influencing the expression of defense genes, the production of secondary metabolites, and the effectiveness of the hypersensitive response. The objective is to identify specific miRNAs and their targets that serve as crosstalk points, in order to exploit them to improve crop tolerance to combined stresses (abiotic stresses + fungal infections), with applied implications for sustainable agriculture.