INVESTIGADORES
RUIZ Oscar Adolfo
capítulos de libros
Título:
Polyamines as indicators and as modulators in the abiotic stress in plants
Autor/es:
CALZADILLA, PABLO; GAZQUEZ, AYELÉN; MAIALE, SANTIAGO; RUIZ, OSCAR A.; MENÉNDEZ, ANA B.
Libro:
PLANT ADAPTATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
Editorial:
CABI
Referencias:
Lugar: Wallingford.Oxfordshire.UK; Año: 2014; p. 109 - 128
Resumen:
Plant development and productivity are hampered by environmental stresses. The design of diverse strategies to obtain stress-tolerant plants is currently one of the most active fields in plant research and is expected to help prevent the dramatic reduction in crop yields due to global climate changing effects. Polyamines (PAs) are polycationic compounds with a recognized role in plant growth and development, as well as in abiotic and biotic stress responses. In this chapter, we review and discuss the information concerning the modifications in polyamines levels in response to drought, salinity and cold stresses, focusing on crop species. In addition, the emerged information suggests that the mechanisms by which polyamines mediate growth improvement under drought, salt or cold stress are diverse. These molecules stabilize membranes and contribute to the regulation of osmotic and ionic homeostasis. In addition, these compounds may act as antioxidants and interact with other signal molecules and transcription factors. Polyamines have been also indicated as responsible for the production of the necessary ROS amount to ensure cell elongation under saline conditions and for altering gene expression by stimulating phosphorylation of regulatory proteins. Several strategies to modify plant PAs levels are currently being developed, including exogenous PAs and addition of specific inhibitors to intact plants, and genetic engineering. These strategies not only would be a reliable way to develop plants with enhanced tolerance to drought, salt and low temperature stresses, but they also provide useful experimental models to study more in depth PAs metabolism under constraint conditions.