Polyamines: Molecules with Regulatory Functions in Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Overview

Journal Planta

Specialty Biology

Date 2010 Mar 12

PMID 20221631

Citations 273

Authors

Ruben Alcazar

Teresa Altabella

Francisco Marco

Cristina Bortolotti

Matthieu Reymond

Csaba Koncz

Pedro Carrasco

Antonio F Tiburcio

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Early studies on plant polyamine research pointed to their involvement in responses to different environmental stresses. During the last few years, genetic, transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches have unravelled key functions of different polyamines in the regulation of abiotic stress tolerance. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanism(s) by which polyamines control plant responses to stress stimuli are largely unknown. Recent studies indicate that polyamine signalling is involved in direct interactions with different metabolic routes and intricate hormonal cross-talks. Here we discuss the integration of polyamines with other metabolic pathways by focusing on molecular mechanisms of their action in abiotic stress tolerance. Recent advances in the cross talk between polyamines and abscisic acid are discussed and integrated with processes of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling, generation of nitric oxide, modulation of ion channel activities and Ca(2+) homeostasis, amongst others.

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