Plant stress surveillance monitored by ABA and disease signaling interactions

Abiotic and biotic stresses are the major factors that negatively impact plant growth. In response to abiotic environmental stresses such as drought, plants generate resistance responses through abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction. In addition to the major role of ABA in abiotic stress signaling, ABA signaling was reported to downregulate biotic stress signaling. Conversely recent findings provide evidence that initial activation of plant immune signaling inhibits subsequent ABA signal transduction. Stimulation of effector-triggered disease response can interfere with ABA signal transduction via modulation of internal calcium-dependent signaling pathways. This review overviews the interactions of abiotic and biotic stress signal transduction and the mechanism through which stress surveillance system operates to generate the most efficient resistant traits against various stress condition.     

CDPK-mediated abiotic stress signaling

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) constitute a large multigene family in various plant species. CDPKs have been shown to have important roles in various physiological processes, including plant growth and development and abiotic and biotic stress responses in plants. Functional analysis using gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutants has revealed the biological function of CDPKs in planta. Several CDPKs have been shown to be essential factors in abiotic stress tolerance, positively or negatively regulating stress tolerance by modulating ABA signaling and reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This review summarizes recent results describing the biological function of CDPKs that are involved in abiotic stress tolerance.     

ABA signal transduction at the crossroad of biotic and abiotic stress responses

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates key processes relevant to seed germination, plant development, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Abiotic stress conditions such as drought induce ABA biosynthesis initiating the signalling pathways that lead to a number of molecular and cellular responses, among which the best known are the expression of stress-related genes and stomatal closure. Stomatal closure also serves as a mechanism for pathogen defence, thereby acting as a platform for crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress responses involving ABA action. Significant advances in our understanding of ABA signal transduction have been made with combination of approaches including genetics, biochemistry, electrophysiology and chemical genetics. Molecular components associated with the ABA signalling have been identified, and their relationship in the complex network of interactions is being dissected. We focused on the recent progress in ABA signal transduction, especially those studies related to identification of ABA receptors and downstream components that lead ABA signal to cellular response. In particular, we will describe a pathway model that starts with ABA binding to the PYR/PYL/RCAR family of receptors, followed by inactivation of 2C-type protein phosphatases and activation of SnRK2-type kinases, and eventually lead to activation of ion channels in guard cells and stomatal closure.     

Molecular mechanism of salicylic acid-induced abiotic stress tolerance in higher plants

Salicylic acid (SA), a key signaling molecule in higher plants, has been found to play a role in the response to a diverse range of phytopathogens and is essential for the establishment of both local and systemic-acquired resistance. Recent studies have indicated that SA also plays an important role in abiotic stress-induced signaling, and studies on SA-modulated abiotic tolerance have mainly focused on the antioxidant capacity of plants by altering the activity of anti-oxidative enzymes. However, little information is available about the molecular mechanisms of SA-induced abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we review recent progress toward characterizing the SA-regulated genes and proteins, the SA signaling pathway, the connections and differences between SA-induced tolerances to biotic and abiotic stresses, and the interaction of SA with other plant hormones under conditions of abiotic stress. The future prospects related to molecular tolerance of SA in response to abiotic stresses are also further summarized.     

Temperature-regulation of plant architecture

As sessile organisms, plants have evolved great plasticity to adapt to their surrounding environment. Temperature signals regulate the timing of multiple developmental processes and have dramatic effects on plant architecture and biomass. The modulation of plant architecture by temperature is of increasing relevance with regard to crop productivity and global climate change. Unlike many other organisms, the mechanisms through which plants sense changes in ambient temperature remain elusive. Multiple studies have identified crosstalk between ambient temperature sensing, light signaling, cold acclimation and pathogen response pathways. The regulation of plant architecture by temperature appears to involve the complex integration of multiple hormone signaling networks. Gibberellin (GA), Salicylic Acid (SA) and cytokinin have been implicated in the regulation of plant growth during chilling, whilst a predominant role for auxin is observed at high temperatures. This mini-review summarizes current knowledge of plant growth regulation by temperature and crosstalk with other abiotic and biotic stress signaling pathways.Key words: temperature, architecture, elongation, growth, hormone, auxin, gibberellin, salicylic acid, biomass     

Structural evolution and function of stress associated proteins in regulating biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants

Adverse environmental conditions greatly influence crop production every year and threaten food security. Plants have a range of signaling networks to combat these stresses, in which several stress-responsive genes and regulatory proteins function together. One such important family of proteins, the Stress Associated Protein (SAP) family, has been identified as a novel regulator of multiple stresses. The SAPs possess a characteristic N-terminal A20 zinc-finger domain combined with either AN1 or C₂H₂ at the C-terminus. SAPs provide tolerance against various abiotic stresses, including cold, salt, drought, heavy metal, and wounding. The majority of SAPs are stress-inducible and have a function in conferring stress tolerance in transgenics. The role of SAPs in regulating biotic stress responses is a newly emerging field among researchers. SAPs interact with many other proteins to execute their functions; however, the detailed mechanism of these interactions needs to be elucidated. In this context, the present review provides a detailed view of the evolution and functions of SAPs in plants. The involvement in crosstalk between abiotic and biotic stress signaling pathways makes SAPs ideal targets to develop crops with tolerance against multiple stresses without any yield penalty. Altogether, we provide current knowledge on SAPs for investigating their role in stress response, which can further be exploited to develop climate-resilient crops through transgene-based, breeding-mediated, or genome-editing approaches.

     

茉莉酸在植物抗逆性中的研究进展

茉莉酸(jasmonic acid, JA)是一种植物内源合成的脂类激素，在植物响应胁迫的调控中发挥着重要作用。本文概括了JA的生物合成与代谢途径及其调控机制；总结了JA信号的传导通路；系统归纳了JA在植物响应生物和非生物胁迫应答中的作用机制和调控网络，重点关注了最新的研究进展。此外，本文梳理了JA与其他植物激素在植物抗逆性调节过程中的信号交流。最后讨论了JA信号通路介导的植物抗逆性研究中亟待解决的问题，并展望了新的分子生物学技术在调控JA信号通路增强作物抗性中的应用前景，以期为植物的抗逆性研究和改良提供参考。     

The roles of ABA in plant–pathogen interactions

Defence against abiotic and biotic stresses is crucial for the fitness and survival of plants under adverse or suboptimal growth conditions. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is not only important for mediating abiotic stress responses, but also plays a multifaceted and pivotal role in plant immunity. This review presents examples demonstrating the importance of crosstalk between ABA and the key biotic stress phytohormone salicylic acid in determining the outcome of plant–pathogen interactions. We then provide an overview of how ABA influences plant defence responses against various phytopathogens with particular emphasis on the Arabidopsis–Pseudomonas syringae model pathosystem. Lastly, we discuss future directions for studies of ABA in plant immunity with emphasis on, its role in the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress responses, the importance of distinguishing direct and indirect effects of ABA, as well as the prospect of utilizing the recently elucidated core ABA signaling network to gain further insights into the roles of ABA in plant immunity.     

Improvement of plant abiotic stress tolerance through modulation of the polyamine pathway

Polyamines(mainly putrescine(Put),spermidine(Spd),and spermine(Spm))have been widely found in a range of physiological processes and in almost all diverse environmental stresses.In various plant species,abiotic stresses modulated the accumulation of polyamines and related gene expression.Studies using loss-of-function mutants and transgenic overexpression plants modulating polyamine metabolic pathways confirmed protective roles of polyamines during plant abiotic stress responses,and indicated the possibility to improve plant tolerance through genetic manipulation of the polyamine pathway.Additionally,putative mechanisms of polyamines involved in plant abiotic stress tolerance were thoroughly discussed and crosstalks among polyamine,abscisic acid,and nitric oxide in plant responses to abiotic stress were emphasized.Special attention was paid to the interaction between polyamine and reactive oxygen species,ion channels,amino acid and carbon metabolism,and other adaptive responses.Further studies are needed to elucidate the polyamine signaling pathway,especially polyamine-regulated downstream targets and the connections between polyamines and other stress responsive molecules.     

Crosstalk During Fruit Ripening and Stress Response Among Abscisic Acid,Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase and Phenylpropanoid

Phenylpropanoids are secondary metabolites produced by plants. They, by differential expression, are involved in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses and confer plant plasticity. In addition, they are synthesized under normal conditions during the fruit-ripening process. Therefore, the understanding of the mechanics involved in the accumulation of these compounds in plants is of extreme importance for the development of plants with greater resistance and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and plants with greater functional potential. There is evidence that one of the pathways of the induction of phenylpropanoids is dependent on abscisic acid (ABA) and it is generated by a signaling cascade involving calcium (Ca²⁺) and Ca²⁺-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs). Plants have several Ca²⁺ binding proteins that act as cellular sensors and represent the first points of signal transduction. CDPKs are mono-molecular Ca²⁺-sensor/kinase-effector proteins, which perceive Ca²⁺ signals and translate them into protein phosphorylation and thus represent an ideal tool for signal transduction. However, the mechanisms involved in the ABA–CDPK–phenylpropanoids crosstalk under stress conditions and during fruit ripening remains uncertain. Therefore, this review seeks to surface a new line of evidence as an attempt to understand the manner in which the induction of phenylpropanoids occurs in plants.