Bioscience Methods 2025, Vol.16, No.1, 1-10 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 5 acid-responsive protein IbGER5. Another significant TF is IbBBX24, which activates the expression of the class III peroxidase gene IbPRX17 to enhance salt and drought tolerance by scavenging ROS (Zhang et al., 2021). 4.3 Signaling pathways in stress response Signaling pathways such as ABA and ROS play pivotal roles in the abiotic stress response in sweet potato. The IbSnRK1 gene activates the ROS scavenging system and controls stomatal closure via the ABA signaling pathway, thereby enhancing tolerance to salt, drought, and cold stresses. The IbCAR1 gene, a C2-domain abscisic acid-related protein, improves salt tolerance by relying on the ABA signal transduction pathway and activating the ROS-scavenging system (You et al., 2022). Additionally, the IbNAC3 transcription factor modulates combined salt and drought stresses by promoting the transcription of genes involved in ABA signaling and ROS scavenging (Meng et al., 2022). 4.4 Epigenetic modifications and gene regulation Epigenetic modifications and gene regulation are essential for the adaptation of sweet potato to abiotic stress. The IbC3H18 gene functions as a nuclear transcriptional activator and regulates the expression of a range of abiotic stress-responsive genes (Zhang et al., 2019). The IbMYB73 transcription factor influences the transcription of genes involved in the ABA pathway, demonstrating the importance of transcriptional regulation in stress tolerance (Wang et al., 2023). Furthermore, the IbBBX24-IbTOE3-IbPRX17 module elucidates the mechanism of transcriptional regulation in response to abiotic stress by modulating the expression of genes encoding ROS scavenging enzymes. 5 Breeding and Biotechnological Approaches for Enhancing Stress Tolerance 5.1 Conventional breeding techniques Conventional breeding techniques have been instrumental in developing sweet potato varieties with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses. These methods involve selecting and cross-breeding plants that exhibit desirable traits such as drought and salinity tolerance. The genetic diversity within the genus Solanum, for example, has been a valuable resource for breeding programs aimed at improving stress tolerance in related crops like sweet potato (Tiwari et al., 2022). However, the multigenic nature of abiotic stress tolerance poses a significant challenge, often requiring the integration of multiple traits to achieve the desired level of resilience (Esmaeili et al., 2022). 5.2 Genetic engineering and CRISPR technology Genetic engineering has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in sweet potato. Techniques such as the overexpression of stress-related genes have shown promising results. For instance, the introduction of the Spinacia oleracea betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (SoBADH) gene into sweet potato has significantly improved its tolerance to salt, oxidative stress, and low temperatures by enhancing glycine betaine biosynthesis (Fan et al., 2012). Additionally, CRISPR-Cas9 technology offers precise genome editing capabilities, allowing for the targeted modification of genes involved in stress responses. This approach has the potential to create novel quantitative trait loci for abiotic stress tolerance by targeting regulatory sequences and promoters (Zafar et al., 2020). 5.3 Marker-assisted selection and genomic approaches Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has revolutionized the breeding process by enabling the rapid and accurate selection of stress-tolerant traits. This technique utilizes molecular markers linked to desirable traits, thereby accelerating the breeding cycle and increasing the precision of selection (Wani et al., 2018). Advances in genomics, such as high-throughput genotyping and multi-omics platforms, have further enhanced the effectiveness of MAS. These tools facilitate the identification of key genes and pathways involved in stress tolerance, enabling the development of sweet potato varieties with improved resilience to abiotic stresses (Villalobos-López et al., 2022). 5.4 Integrating biotechnology with breeding programs The integration of biotechnological approaches with conventional breeding programs holds great promise for the
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