Functional 14-3-3 Proteins: Master Regulators in Plant Responses to Salt Stress

14-3-3 proteins are highly conserved regulatory molecules that play a central role in plant responses to salt stress. These proteins modulate the activity, stability, and localization of diverse target proteins. This review summarizes current advances in understanding the multifaceted roles of 14-3-3 proteins in salt stress signaling. Specifically, it details how 14-3-3 proteins interact with and regulate diverse components, including protein kinases, phosphatases, ion channels and transporters, proton pumps, metabolic enzymes, and transcription factors. These interactions are predominantly phosphorylation-dependent and often involve calcium (Ca²⁺) and other second messengers. Additionally, 14-3-3 proteins themselves are subject to post-translational regulation, such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination, which fine-tune their stability and activity under stress conditions. This review highlights 14-3-3 proteins as versatile molecular switches in salt stress signaling, integrating diverse signals to orchestrate stress tolerance mechanisms. It also identifies critical knowledge gaps and outlines future research directions aimed at leveraging these proteins for improving crop resilience to salinity stress, an ongoing challenge in modern agriculture.