Intracellular changes in calcium ions (Ca(2+)) in response to different biotic and abiotic stimuli are detected by various sensor proteins in the plant cell. Calmodulin (CaM) is one of the most extensively studied Ca(2+)-sensing proteins and has been shown to be involved in transduction of Ca(2+) signals. After interacting with Ca(2+), CaM undergoes conformational change and influences the acti...

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and adverse temperatures are major limiting factors for plant growth and reproduction. Plant responses to these stresses are coordinated by arrays of regulatory networks including the induction of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA), a well documented phytohormone for stress responses. However, whether or how these abiotic stresses affect the endogenous bi...

Abiotic stress is a major environmental factor that limits cotton growth and yield, moreover, this problem has become more and more serious recently, as multiple stresses often occur simultaneously due to the global climate change and environmental pollution. In this study, we sought to identify genes involved in diverse stresses including abscisic acid (ABA), cold, drought, salinity and alkali...

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades function in biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. We analysed effect of oxidative stress on the activation of ATMPK6, an Arabidopsis thaliana MAPK, in Arabidopsis T87 cultured cells and rosette leaves using anti-ATMPK6 specific antibody. ATMPK6 in T87 cells was strongly activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H(2)O(2) and KO(2...

Plants have evolved elaborate mechanisms for sensing and responding to sub-optimal environmental conditions. Abiotic stresses caused by these conditions trigger a wide range of local and long-distance signals which must be co-ordinated and integrated into whole-plant processes, such as development, in order for the plant to respond properly and survive. Several hormones function as key regulato...

The transition from juvenility through maturation to senescence is a complex process that involves the regulation of longevity. Here, we identify JUNGBRUNNEN1 (JUB1), a hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced NAC transcription factor, as a central longevity regulator in Arabidopsis thaliana. JUB1 overexpression strongly delays senescence, dampens intracellular H(2)O(2) levels, and enhances toleran...

Plants need to respond to various environmental stresses such as abiotic stress for proper development and growth. The responses to abiotic stress can be biochemically demanding, resulting in a trade-off that negatively affects plant growth and development. Thus, plant stress responses must be fine-tuned depending on the stress severity and duration. Abscisic acid, a phytohormone, plays a key r...

Soybean production is greatly influenced by abiotic stresses imposed by environmental factors such as drought, water submergence, salt, and heavy metals. A thorough understanding of plant response to abiotic stress at the molecular level is a prerequisite for its effective management. The molecular mechanism of stress tolerance is complex and requires information at the omic level to understand...

Plant microRNAs (miRs) have emerged as important regulators of gene expression under normal as well as stressful environments. Rice is an important cereal crop whose productivity is compromised due to various abiotic stress factors such as salt, heat and drought. In the present study, we have investigated the role of rice-specific Osa-miR820, in indica rice cultivars showing contrasting respons...

Metabolites reflect the integration of gene expression, protein interaction and other different regulatory processes and are therefore closer to the phenotype than mRNA transcripts or proteins alone. Amongst all -omics technologies, metabolomics is the most transversal and can be applied to different organisms with little or no modifications. It has been successfully applied to the study of mol...