6 - Abscisic acid control of plant macroelement membrane transport systems in response to water deficit and high salinity

Abstract

Plants, being sessile, are always challenged with environmental atrocities that adversely affect the physiological conditions and their productivity. To survive under these adverse conditions, plants have developed different mechanisms to adapt to these changing conditions. One such adaptation includes stomatal movement brought about by alterations in the abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in response to abiotic stresses. The cellular homeostasis in response to abiotic stresses is mediated by post-translational modifications like phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of the transporters. In addition, ABA has been demonstrated to play a key role in response to drought and salinity stress. Stress-induced synthesis of ABA not only leads to stomatal movement but also induces a string of signaling cascades comprising not only of receptors, kinases, and transcription factors but also transporters and other membrane localized factors. This chapter encompasses recent research that has been carried out in identifying the role of membrane transporters in response to drought or salt stress. The signaling cascades that have been discussed here primarily emphasize the role of membrane transporters in mitigating the effects of stress and hence the maintenance of cellular homeostasis.