The root of ABA action in environmental stress response

The growth and development of plants are influenced by the integration of diverse endogenous and environmental signals. Acting as a mediator of extrinsic signals, the stress hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), has been shown to regulate many aspects of plant development in response to unfavourable environmental stresses, allowing the plant to cope and survive in adverse conditions, such as drought, low or high temperature, or high salinity. Here, we summarize recent evidence on the roles of ABA in environmental stress responses in the Arabidopsis root; and on how ABA crosstalks with other phytohormones to modulate root development and growth in Arabidopsis. We also review literature findings showing that, in response to environmental stresses, ABA affects the root system architecture in other plant species, such as rice.