Polyamines: molecules with regulatory functions in plant abiotic stress tolerance

• Published in: Planta Vol. 231; no. 6; pp. 1237 - 1249
• Main Authors: Alcázar, Rubén, Altabella, Teresa, Marco, Francisco, Bortolotti, Cristina, Reymond, Matthieu, Koncz, Csaba, Carrasco, Pedro, Tiburcio, Antonio F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.05.2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abscisic Acid - metabolism; Adaptation, Physiological; Agriculture; Amines; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Drought; Ecology; Environmental stress; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guard cells; Ion channels; Life Sciences; Nitric oxide; Oxidases; Plant cells; Plant Sciences; Plants; Plants - metabolism; Polyamines; Polyamines - chemistry; Polyamines - metabolism; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; REVIEW; Stress, Physiological; Transgenic plants; Abscisic acid; Signalling; Abiotic stress; Plant tolerance; Polyamine metabolism; Polyamine; Sesquiterpenes; Plant biology; Tolerance; Plant growth substance; Metabolism
• ISSN: 0032-0935; 1432-2048
• DOI: 10.1007/s00425-010-1130-0

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 Ca²⁺ homeostasis, amongst others.