Unveiling New Horizons: Plant Signaling Mechanisms in Biotic and Abiotic Stress

Author: Adil Rahim Margay

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Abstract

Plants face many challenges from both biotic and abiotic stresses that require complex signaling mechanisms for adaptation and survival. This review reviews recent advances that shed light on the complex signaling pathways that control plant responses to these stressors. Understanding the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress signaling pathways is crucial for deciphering plant tolerance mechanisms. New research reveals complex networks in which common signaling components integrate different stress inputs, allowing plants to prioritize responses based on the severity and nature of the stress encountered. Under biotic stress scenarios, plants use different receptor-mediated pathways to detect microbial invaders and activate defense mechanisms to prevent pathogen spread. Recent studies emphasize the involvement of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs) in mediating immune responses against pathogens. In addition, the role of phytohormones such as salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene in orchestrating defense signaling cascades has been elucidated, revealing complex regulatory networks that control plant immunity. In contrast, abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and temperature extremes trigger signaling cascades aimed at maintaining cellular homeostasis and promoting stress tolerance. Key players in abiotic stress signaling are mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), calcium ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and various transcription factors. Recent findings highlight the importance of stress-specific regulatory elements and epigenetic modifications in fine-tuning plant responses to environmental fluctuations. In addition, emerging evidence indicates the involvement of long-range signaling mechanisms such as systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and systemic signal peptides, to coordinate plant responses to both biotic and abiotic stress. These ubiquitous signals allow plants to spread stress signals throughout the organism, with distant tissues improving stress tolerance

Keywords

Biotic, Abiotic Stress, signalling Pathway, Molecular mechanism.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study of plant signaling mechanisms in response to biotic and abiotic stress has seen significant advancements in recent years, offering new insights into how plants perceive and respond to their environment. Through the integration of various omics approaches, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, researchers have been able to unravel complex signaling networks underlying stress responses in plants. One of the key findings is the crosstalk between different signaling pathways involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. For instance, studies have revealed that components of the salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene signaling pathways not only play crucial roles in defense against pathogens but also mediate responses to abiotic stressors such as drought, salinity, and temperature extremes. This interconnectedness highlights the complexity of plant stress responses and the need for a holistic approach to understand plant signaling. Furthermore, the identification of key signaling components, such as receptor-like kinases (RLKs), transcription factors, and small regulatory RNAs, has provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing stress perception and signal transduction in plants. These components act as molecular switches that activate downstream defense and stress tolerance pathways, orchestrating physiological and biochemical changes essential for plant survival under adverse conditions. Moreover, advances in imaging techniques, such as fluorescence microscopy and live-cell imaging, have enabled researchers to visualize dynamic changes in signaling molecules and cellular processes in real-time, providing spatial and temporal resolution of stress responses at the cellular and subcellular levels. This has enhanced our understanding of the spatiotemporal regulation of stress signaling and facilitated the identification of novel regulatory mechanisms. In addition to elucidating fundamental aspects of plant stress signaling, recent research has also focused on harnessing this knowledge to improve crop resilience and agricultural sustainability

References

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How to cite this article

Adil Rahim Margay (2024). Unveiling New Horizons: Plant Signaling Mechanisms in Biotic and Abiotic Stress. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(3): 262-275.