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Harnessing fern stress adaptations: From evolution and ecophysiology to molecular biology

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dc.contributor.authorYang, D.
dc.contributor.authorChen, G.
dc.contributor.authorJiang, W.
dc.contributor.authorMarchant, D.B.
dc.contributor.authorCai, S.
dc.contributor.authorZhu, X.
dc.contributor.authorSoltis, P.S.
dc.contributor.authorSoltis, D.E.
dc.contributor.authorChen, Z.-H.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractFerns are the second most diverse vascular plant lineage after angiosperms and have been a key ecological component of Earth's biodiversity for more than 380 million years. Importantly, ferns are sister to seed plants, providing a critical outgroup for understanding the evolution of seed plant features. Ferns are remarkably resilient to abiotic and biotic stresses due to a long evolutionary history with adaptations to diverse habitats, stresses, and herbivores. As a result, ferns produce a multitude of secondary metabolites with unique bioactivities; these chemicals are potentially linked to the adaptation of ferns to herbivory, various abiotic and biotic stresses, and changing environments. Assembled reference genomes and the identification of key metabolic compounds of multiple ferns have already made significant contributions to human health and well-being. Here, we review the recent scientific advances in fern research, including evolution, stress resistance, metabolites and medicinal utilization, and comparative multi-omics applications. We propose that integrated investigations involving ecological, physiological, and molecular techniques will facilitate the future research translation of fern resources in diverse areas including soil remediation, biopesticides, and medicine. Advances in our understanding of fern molecular biology will provide new insights into the evolution of land plants and promote the utilization of ferns for heightened environmental restoration, crop protection and human health.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityDongmei Yang, Guang Chen, Wei Jiang, D. Blaine Marchant, Shengguan Cai, Xiaoshu Zhu, Pamela S. Soltis, Douglas E. Soltis, Zhong-Hua Chen
dc.identifier.citationThe Plant Journal, 2025; 124(3):e70572-1-e70572-20
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/tpj.70572
dc.identifier.issn0960-7412
dc.identifier.issn1365-313X
dc.identifier.orcidChen, Z.-H. [0000-0002-7531-320X]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/148579
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT210100366
dc.rights©2025 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70572
dc.subjectabiotic stress
dc.subjectbiotic stress
dc.subjectmedicinal use
dc.subjectmolecular evolution
dc.subjectomics
dc.subject.meshFerns
dc.subject.meshMolecular Biology
dc.subject.meshAdaptation, Physiological
dc.subject.meshStress, Physiological
dc.subject.meshBiological Evolution
dc.titleHarnessing fern stress adaptations: From evolution and ecophysiology to molecular biology
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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