Molecular genetic perspectives on cross-talk and specificity in abiotic stress signalling in plants

The perception of abiotic stresses and signal transduction to switch on adaptive responses are critical steps in determining the survival and reproduction of plants exposed to adverse environments. Plants have stress-specific adaptive responses as well as responses which protect the plants from more than one environmental stress. There are multiple stress perception and signalling pathways, some of which are specific, but others may cross-talk at various steps. Recently, progress has been made in identifying components of signalling pathways involved in salt, drought and cold stresses. Genetic analysis has defined the Salt-Overly-Sensitive (SOS) pathway, in which a salt stress-induced calcium signal is…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Agriculture