Protein Farnesylation in Plant Stress Responses

Protein farnesylation is a lipid-modification process in which a 15-carbon isoprenoid chain is covalently attached to a specific cysteine residue near the carboxyl terminus of select proteins. This post-translational change facilitates membrane association and influences protein–protein interactions, thereby fine-tuning cellular signalling under adverse conditions. In plants, farnesylation governs responses to both abiotic stresses—such as drought and salinity—and biotic challenges posed by pathogens. Central to drought tolerance is the modulation of abscisic acid (ABA) signalling in guard cells, where the farnesyltransferase β-subunit (encoded by ERA1) acts as a key regulator of stomatal aperture. Mutations that impair farnesylation often enhance ABA sensitivity, leading to more rapid stomatal closure and reduced water loss. Similarly, farnesylated small GTPases and other signalling components contribute to the activation of innate immune pathways. Crosstalk with jasmonate and mevalonate pathways further adjusts enzyme specificity and substrate availability, highlighting the dynamic interplay between lipid metabolism and stress adaptation. Advances in genetic and biochemical tools have begun to reveal how targeted manipulation of farnesylation might bolster crop resilience and yield under changing environmental conditions.

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Protein Farnesylation in Plant Stress Responses publication trend

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

Technical terms

Protein farnesylation: Covalent attachment of a 15-carbon isoprenoid chain to a protein’s terminal cysteine, facilitating membrane targeting and signal regulation.

Farnesyltransferase: Enzyme complex that catalyses the transfer of a farnesyl group to proteins bearing a C-terminal cysteine motif.

Abscisic acid (ABA): Plant hormone that controls stomatal closure and gene expression in response to drought and osmotic stress.

CRISPR/Cas9: Genome-editing system enabling precise mutagenesis of target genes for functional studies and crop improvement.

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS): Transient reverse-genetics technique that uses engineered viruses to down-regulate specific plant genes and assess their roles in stress responses.

References

1. CRISPR/Cas9-targeted mutagenesis of OsERA1 confers enhanced responses to abscisic acid and drought stress and increased primary root growth under nonstressed conditions in rice. PLOS ONE (2020).
2. Protein Prenylation in Plant Stress Responses. Molecules (2019).
3. Virus-induced down-regulation of GmERA1A and GmERA1B genes enhances the stomatal response to abscisic acid and drought resistance in soybean. PLOS ONE (2017).
4. A Novel Role for Protein Farnesylation in Plant Innate Immunity. Plant Physiology (2008).
5. Methyl-Jasmonate Functions as a Molecular Switch Promoting Cross-Talk between Pathways for the Biosynthesis of Isoprenoid Backbones Used to Modify Proteins in Plants. Plants (2024).