Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis in Plant Stress Responses

Abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis originates from the oxidative cleavage of carotenoid precursors in plastids, with 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) serving as the key rate-limiting enzyme. Under water deficit, salinity or temperature extremes, ABA accumulates rapidly, triggering stomatal closure, root architectural adjustments and the induction of stress-responsive genes. Biosynthesis and catabolism of ABA are precisely balanced by feedback loops, transcriptional regulators and spatial transport mechanisms. Recent insights have revealed that selective protection of NCED transcripts via phase-separated stress granules and negative-feedback transcription factor complexes fine-tune hormone levels, while cross-talk with reactive oxygen species and other hormonal pathways integrates systemic stress signalling. These advances underpin global efforts to enhance crop resilience by optimising ABA dynamics—promoting stress tolerance without compromising growth.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have shown that a double-stranded RNA-binding protein undergoes liquid–liquid phase separation to form cytoplasmic stress granules that selectively sequester NCED transcripts, shielding them from degradation and amplifying ABA biosynthesis under drought, thereby improving rice performance and yield. Another investigation revealed a protein complex of two transcription factors that binds the promoter of an NCED gene in peanut, imposing negative feedback once ABA reaches peak levels; this mechanism prevents hormone overaccumulation during prolonged water stress and stabilises stress responses.

Abscisic Acid Biosynthesis in Plant Stress Responses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in abscisic acid biosynthesis in plant stress responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone that mediates adaptive responses to abiotic stress by regulating stomatal aperture, seed dormancy and stress-responsive gene expression.

9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED): The rate-limiting enzyme catalysing cleavage of epoxidised carotenoids to produce xanthoxin, a precursor of ABA.

Stress granules (SGs): Dynamic cytoplasmic aggregates of proteins and RNAs formed under stress to protect transcripts and modulate translation.

References

1. A double-stranded RNA binding protein enhances drought resistance via protein phase separation in rice. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Identification and Expression Profile of NCED Genes in Arachis hypogaea L. during Drought Stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
3. SiNCED1, a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene in Setaria italica, is involved in drought tolerance and seed germination in transgenic Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
4. Differential roles of abscisic acid in maize roots in the adaptation to soil drought. Food and Energy Security (2023).
5. Negative feedback regulation of ABA biosynthesis in peanut (Arachis hypogaea): a transcription factor complex inhibits AhNCED1 expression during water stress. Scientific Reports (2016).