Premium
Integration of Abscisic Acid Signalling into Plant Responses
Author(s) -
Christmann A.,
Moes D.,
Himmelbach A.,
Yang Y.,
Tang Y.,
Grill E.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1055/s-2006-924120
Subject(s) - abscisic acid , guard cell , biology , second messenger system , signal transduction , microbiology and biotechnology , abiotic stress , mutant , arabidopsis , signalling , gene expression , rna interference , gene , biochemistry , rna
Abstract: The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role as an endogenous messenger in the regulation of plant's water status. ABA is generated as a signal during a plant's life cycle to control seed germination and further developmental processes and in response to abiotic stress imposed by salt, cold, drought, and wounding. The action of ABA can target specifically guard cells for induction of stomatal closure but may also signal systemically for adjustment towards severe water shortage. At the molecular level, the responses are primarily mediated by regulation of ion channels and by changes in gene expression. In the last years, the molecular complexity of ABA signal transduction surfaced more and more. Many proteins and a plethora of “secondary” messengers that regulate or modulate ABA‐responses have been identified by analysis of mutants including gene knock‐out plants and by applying RNA interference technology together with protein interaction analysis. The complexity possibly reflects intensive cross‐talk with other signal pathways and the role of ABA to be part of and to integrate several responses. Despite the missing unifying concept, it is becoming clear that ABA action enforces a sophisticated regulation at all levels.