Phytohormone Regulation of Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants
Summary
Plants subjected to water deficit activate a sophisticated network of chemical signals known as phytohormones to survive and maintain growth. Abscisic acid (ABA) serves as the central drought hormone, inducing stomatal closure, osmotic adjustment and stress‐responsive gene expression. Auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid interact in an intricate crosstalk to balance growth with defence, modulating root architecture, leaf senescence and antioxidant systems. Emerging roles for brassinosteroids, strigolactones and gasotransmitters further refine stress perception and signal propagation. Hormonal homeostasis is controlled at multiple levels, including biosynthesis, transport, catabolism and receptor sensitivity. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics have revealed key transcription factors and second‐messenger pathways underpinning these mechanisms. Practical applications range from exogenous hormone treatments to breeding and biotechnological strategies that target hormone signalling nodes, offering routes to engineer crops with enhanced drought resilience and sustained yield under changing climates.
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Phytohormone Regulation of Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants publication trend
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Technical terms
Abscisic Acid (ABA): A sesquiterpenoid hormone that regulates stomatal closure, osmotic adjustment and expression of drought‐responsive genes.
Jasmonic Acid (JA): A lipid‐derived hormone that interacts with ABA pathways to modulate stress signalling and defence responses under water deficit.
Indole-3-acetic Acid (IAA): The principal auxin, controlling growth and development and capable of enhancing drought tolerance through hormonal crosstalk and gene regulation.
Stomatal Conductance: The rate at which gases diffuse through stomata, directly influenced by hormonal signals to conserve water.
Osmolyte: Small organic molecules (e.g. proline, glycine betaine) that accumulate to maintain cellular water balance during drought stress.
References
- Drought Stress Impacts on Plants and Different Approaches to Alleviate Its Adverse Effects. Plants (2021).
- Physiological impacts of ABA–JA interactions under water-limitation. Plant Molecular Biology (2016).
- Indole-3-acetic acid improves drought tolerance of white clover via activating auxin, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid related genes and inhibiting senescence genes. BMC Plant Biology (2020).
- Phytohormones Trigger Drought Tolerance in Crop Plants: Outlook and Future Perspectives. Frontiers in Plant Science (2022).
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