Abscisic Acid Signaling in Plant Development
Summary
Abscisic acid (ABA) is a central phytohormone that integrates environmental cues and intrinsic developmental programmes to regulate key phases of the plant life cycle. Perception of ABA is mediated by a family of soluble receptors (PYR/PYL/RCAR), which upon hormone binding inhibit group A PP2C phosphatases. This release of repression allows SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) enzymes to phosphorylate downstream effectors, most notably the bZIP transcription factor ABI5. Activation of ABI5 drives expression of abscisic acid response element (ABRE)-containing genes involved in seed dormancy, germination arrest, stomatal closure and osmotic stress tolerance. Dynamic crosstalk between ABA and other phytohormones—auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin and brassinosteroid—fine-tunes developmental transitions such as seedling establishment, flowering time and dormancy induction. In addition, ABA signalling modulates root architecture and leaf senescence, contributing to resource allocation and survival under water-limiting conditions. Recent mechanistic insights have revealed layers of regulation at transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels, including cis-element diversity, regulatory feedback loops and protein modifications that sharpen the hormone response. Together, these advances underscore ABA’s multifaceted role in orchestrating both stress adaptation and normal growth processes, with direct implications for crop improvement and sustainable agriculture.
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Abscisic Acid Signaling in Plant Development publication trend
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Technical terms
Abscisic acid (ABA): A plant hormone that regulates stress responses and developmental processes such as seed dormancy and stomatal closure.
PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors: A family of soluble proteins that perceive ABA and inhibit PP2C phosphatases upon ligand binding.
PP2C phosphatases: Protein phosphatases that inactivate SnRK2 kinases in the absence of ABA.
SnRK2 kinases: Serine/threonine kinases activated when PP2Cs are inhibited, which phosphorylate downstream targets including transcription factors.
ABI5: A basic leucine zipper transcription factor central to ABA signalling, controlling gene expression through the ABRE motif.
ABRE motif: Cis-acting DNA sequence recognised by bZIP transcription factors, essential for ABA-responsive gene activation.
References
- Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of the ABI5 gene family in foxtail millet (Setaria italica). BMC Plant Biology (2024).
- Understanding the multifaceted role of ABA signaling in orchestrating plant developmental transition. Stress Biology (2025).
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