Abstract
WRKY proteins are emerging players in plant signaling and have been thoroughly reported to play important roles in plants under biotic stress like pathogen attack. However, recent advances in this field do reveal the enormous significance of these proteins in eliciting responses induced by abiotic stresses. WRKY proteins act as major transcription factors, either as positive or negative regulators. Specific WRKY factors which help in the expression of a cluster of stress-responsive genes are being targeted and genetically modified to induce improved abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The knowledge regarding the signaling cascade leading to the activation of the WRKY proteins, their interaction with other proteins of the signaling pathway, and the downstream genes activated by them are altogether vital for justified targeting of the WRKY genes. WRKY proteins have also been considered to generate tolerance against multiple abiotic stresses with possible roles in mediating a cross talk between abiotic and biotic stress responses. In this review, we have reckoned the diverse signaling pattern and biological functions of WRKY proteins throughout the plant kingdom along with the growing prospects in this field of research.
Highlights
All sustaining living organisms especially the sessile ones like plants are always exposed to a variety of conditions which may cause deleterious impacts on all phenological stages of development
The abscisic acid- (ABA-)inducible genes involved in abiotic stress responses are dependent on their activation by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) or sometimes Calcium Dependent Protein Kinases (CDPKs)
Improved technologies along with molecular, computational, and informational agrobiology may furnish further details in this respect in near future. Future prospects in this field include the possibility of a cross talk between abiotic and biotic stress responses mediated by WRKY factors
Summary
All sustaining living organisms especially the sessile ones like plants are always exposed to a variety of conditions which may cause deleterious impacts on all phenological stages of development Such adverse conditions are called stress for that particular organism. Harsh environmental conditions which hinder the proper physiological growth of the plant system are called abiotic stresses which include drought, soil salinity, heavy metal, low temperature, radiation, and other forms of oxidative stresses. Adaptation to such environmental stress is essential for development of the individual plant, and for the stability of its successive generations. Researchers are trying to find whether specific stress-responsive TFs, apart from upregulating their target genes, essentially regulate a complete package of stress-induced responses like posttranslational and epigenetic modifications, namely, variable nucleosome distribution, histone modification, DNA methylation, and synthesis of nonprotein-coding RNAs (npcRNAs) [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
