Imperative roles of auxin signaling in reprogramming of drought tolerance in plants

Auxin, a plant growth regulator responsive to environmental stresses like drought, plays a crucial role in signaling, gene regulation, and plant sustainability. Drought sensitivity is linked to auxin-mediated cellular interactions, and gaining insights at genomic, cellular, and physiological levels can enhance plant resilience. This review discusses drought stress impacts and auxin sensitivity in cellular and nuclear modules. The biosynthetic and catabolic routes of auxin influence influx and metabolic reprogramming at both cellular and subcellular levels. Auxin interaction with other hormones affects rhizosphere sensitivity and systematic plant signaling. Subcellular drought tolerance is maintained by metabolizing reactive oxygen species, ensuring redox homeostasis. The review also covers transcriptomes regulated by auxin-responsive factors and miRNAs that modulate selective transcripts under drought. It emphasizes epigenetic regulation, including methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. Specific nucleotide residues and their auxin-induced modifications may help recall stress memory to better combat drought. For sustainable development under drought, strategies involving specific rhizobacteria and nanomaterials are discussed. New perspectives on genome stability, particularly with CRISPR/Cas9 for editing auxin-sensitive genes, aim to improve drought tolerance in crop varieties and selectable traits. Conclusively, the present review highlights auxin's imperative role in plant reprogramming under osmotic stress, making it a key candidate for eco-friendly crop production to ensure food security.