Polyamines as indicators and as modulators in the abiotic stress in plants

PABLO IGNACIO CALZADILLA; AYELEN GAZQUEZ; SANTIAGO J. MAIALE; OSCAR A. RUIZ; ANA B. MENENDEZ

Plant Adaptation to Environmental Change

CABI International

Año: 2014; p. 109 - 128

Polyamines (PAs) are small molecules, positive charged at physiological conditions, which are essential for life in most prokaryotes, eukaryotes and viruses (Fuell et  al., 2010; Takahashi and Kakehi, 2010). 슠 e positive charge of the amino groups is the most important feature in these molecules, because it allows electrostatic interactions with several macromolecules such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids (Igarashi and Kashiwagi, 2000; Childs et al., 2003). 슠 e polyamines 1,4-diaminobutane or putescine (Put), the triamine 1,8 diamino-4- ozaoctane or spermidine (Spd) and the tetraamine 1,12-diamino4,9-diazadodecane or spermine (Spm; Cohen, 1998) are ubiquitous in plants. Less commonly found PAs are cadaverine (Cad), thermospermine (tSpm), norspermidine, norspermine, homocaldopentamine, homocaldohexamine, 1,3-diaminopropane and 4-aminobutylcadaverine, among others (Kuehn et al., 1990; Fujihara et al., 1995; Kuznetsov et al., 2007).