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The quest for osmosensors in plants
Ramsong Chantre Nongpiur1, Sneh Lata Singla-Pareek2, Ashwani Pareek1
1Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
Journal of Experimental Botany
|May 31, 2019
Summary
Developing osmotically tolerant crops is crucial for food security. Understanding plant osmosensing mechanisms, involving key proteins, is vital for breeding crops resistant to drought and salinity stress.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Osmotic stress significantly impacts crop productivity, a problem exacerbated by climate change.
- Developing crops tolerant to osmotic stresses like drought and salinity is essential.
- Limited success in developing tolerant crops is due to a poor understanding of osmosensing mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss potential osmosensing mechanisms in plants.
- To highlight key proteins involved in osmotic stress perception.
- To identify potential targets for breeding stress-tolerant crops.
Main Methods:
- Review and discussion of existing literature on plant osmosensing.
- Identification and analysis of proteins involved in osmotic stress response.
- Exploration of potential osmosensor roles in plants.
Main Results:
- Receptor-like kinases sense cell wall damage during osmotic stress.
- Mechanosensitive calcium channels trigger calcium-mediated stress responses.
- Phospholipase C is integral to osmotic stress perception.
Conclusions:
- Aquaporins and histidine kinases may detect extracellular osmolarity changes.
- These osmosensors can act as master regulators of plant osmotic stress response.
- Identifying these osmosensors offers targets for developing osmotically tolerant crops.
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