Assessment of proline function in higher plants under extreme temperatures |
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| Authors: | A Raza S Charagh S Abbas M U Hassan F Saeed S Haider R Sharif A Anand F J Corpas W Jin R K Varshney |
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| Institution: | 1. College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU), Fuzhou, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Hangzhou, China;3. Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan;4. Research Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China;5. Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, Turkey;6. Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan;7. Department of Horticulture, School of Horticulture and Landscape, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China;8. Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi, India;9. Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Spanish National Research Council, CSIC, Granada, Spain;10. Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China;11. State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Climate change and abiotic stress factors are key players in crop losses worldwide. Among which, extreme temperatures (heat and cold) disturb plant growth and development, reduce productivity and, in severe cases, lead to plant death. Plants have developed numerous strategies to mitigate the detrimental impact of temperature stress. Exposure to stress leads to the accumulation of various metabolites, e.g. sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids and amino acids. Plants accumulate the amino acid ‘proline’ in response to several abiotic stresses, including temperature stress. Proline abundance may result from de novo synthesis, hydrolysis of proteins, reduced utilization or degradation. Proline also leads to stress tolerance by maintaining the osmotic balance (still controversial), cell turgidity and indirectly modulating metabolism of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the crosstalk of proline with other osmoprotectants and signalling molecules, e.g. glycine betaine, abscisic acid, nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, soluble sugars, helps to strengthen protective mechanisms in stressful environments. Development of less temperature-responsive cultivars can be achieved by manipulating the biosynthesis of proline through genetic engineering. This review presents an overview of plant responses to extreme temperatures and an outline of proline metabolism under such temperatures. The exogenous application of proline as a protective molecule under extreme temperatures is also presented. Proline crosstalk and interaction with other molecules is also discussed. Finally, the potential of genetic engineering of proline-related genes is explained to develop ‘temperature-smart’ plants. In short, exogenous application of proline and genetic engineering of proline genes promise ways forward for developing ‘temperature-smart’ future crop plants. |
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| Keywords: | Amino acid climate change climate-resilient crops cold stress genetic engineering heat stress osmoprotectants |
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