Proline-Rich Proteins in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses

Proline-rich proteins (PRPs) and their hybrid counterparts (HyPRPs) form a widespread family of plant polypeptides characterised by a proline-enriched region and, in HyPRPs, an additional eight-cysteine motif. These proteins localise predominantly to cell walls or the cytoplasm, where they contribute to structural integrity, cell-to-cell adhesion and dynamic remodelling of the extracellular matrix under stress conditions. Upon exposure to drought, salinity, heat or osmotic imbalance, specific PRP and HyPRP genes are transcriptionally activated, leading to enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, stabilisation of membrane lipids and maintenance of cellular water potential. Many members also interact with phytohormonal signalling pathways, notably abscisic acid (ABA), integrating environmental cues with developmental programmes. Functional studies—ranging from overexpression in model crops to precise domain deletion via CRISPR-Cas9—demonstrate that modulation of PRP and HyPRP levels can markedly improve plant resilience to multiple abiotic challenges. Given the escalating impact of climate change on agricultural productivity, these proteins represent valuable targets for crop improvement strategies, offering routes to fortify stress tolerance while minimising yield penalties.

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Proline-Rich Proteins in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in proline-rich proteins in plant abiotic stress responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Proline-Rich Protein (PRP): A structural or regulatory plant protein containing a high proportion of proline residues, involved in cell wall reinforcement and stress adaptation.

Hybrid Proline-Rich Protein (HyPRP): A subclass of PRPs distinguished by an additional eight-cysteine motif, implicated in signalling, defence and extracellular interactions.

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): Partially reduced oxygen molecules that can cause oxidative damage; their levels are tightly regulated during stress.

Abscisic Acid (ABA): A plant hormone that mediates responses to drought and salinity by regulating stomatal closure and stress-responsive gene expression.

CRISPR-Cas9: A precision genome editing technology used to generate targeted mutations for gene function studies.

Osmotic Stress: Cellular stress resulting from solute-induced water potential differences, often triggered by drought or high salinity.

References

1. CRISPR-Cas9-based precise engineering of SlHyPRP1 protein towards multi-stress tolerance in tomato. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
2. Genome-Wide Identification of PRP Genes in Apple Genome and the Role of MdPRP6 in Response to Heat Stress. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021).
3. Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiling of Rice Hybrid Proline-Rich Proteins in Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses, and Hormone Treatment. Plants (2019).