Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Biochemical and Molecular Insights into Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants

Rao Saad Rehman *

College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

Syed Ali Zafar

Oilseeds Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Mujahid Ali

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.

Asad Nadeem Pasha

Department of Plant Pathology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.

Hassan Bashir

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Sub Campus Burewala-Vehari, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Muhammad Awais Ashraf

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Muhammad Usman Yaqoob

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Sub Campus Burewala-Vehari, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Mubashar Hussain

College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Abstract

Plants cannot move, so they must endure abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and extreme temperatures. These stressors greatly limit the distribution of plants, alter their growth and development, and reduce crop productivity. Recent progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of plants to abiotic stresses emphasizes their multilevel nature; multiple processes are involved, including sensing, signaling, transcription, transcript processing, translation and post-translational protein modifications. This improved knowledge can be used to boost crop productivity and agricultural sustainability through genetic, chemical and microbial approaches.

Keywords: Stress sensing, ROS signaling, protein phosphorylation, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, epigenetic regulation, microRNAs, splicing

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