In recent years, extreme environmental cues such as abiotic stresses, including frequent droughts with irregular precipitation, salinity, metal contamination, and temperature fluctuations, have been escalating the damage to plants’ optimal productivity worldwide. Therefore, yield maintenance under extreme events needs improvement in multiple mechanisms that can minimize the influence of abiotic stresses. Polyamines (PAs) are pivotally necessary for a defensive purpose under adverse abiotic conditions, but their molecular interplay in this remains speculative. The PAs’ accretion is one of the most notable metabolic responses of plants under stress challenges. Recent studies reported the beneficial roles of PAs in plant development, including metabolic and physiological processes, unveiling their potential for inducing tolerance against adverse conditions. This review presents an overview of research about the most illustrious and remarkable achievements in strengthening plant tolerance to drought, salt, and temperature stresses by the exogenous application of PAs. The knowledge of underlying processes associated with stress tolerance and PA signaling pathways was also summarized, focusing on up-to-date evidence regarding the metabolic and physiological role of PAs with exogenous applications that protect plants under unfavorable climatic conditions. Conclusively, the literature proposes that PAs impart an imperative role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants. This implies potentially important feedback on PAs and plants’ stress tolerance under unfavorable cues.
1 February 2020 in Journal of Environmental Management
Salinity stress (SS) is a serious abiotic stress and a major constraint to agricultural productivity across the globe. High SS negatively affects plant growth and yield by altering soil physio-chemical properties and plant physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes. The application of micronutrients is considered an important practice to mitigate the adverse effects of SS. Zinc (Zn) is an important nutrient that plays an imperative role in plant growth, and it could also help alleviate the effects of salt stress. Zn application improves seed germination, seedling growth, water uptake, plant water relations, nutrient uptake, and nutrient homeostasis, therefore improving plant performance and saline conditions. Zn application also protects the photosynthetic apparatus from salinity-induced oxidative stress and improves stomata movement, chlorophyll synthesis, carbon fixation, and osmolytes and hormone accumulation. Moreover, Zn application also increases the synthesis of secondary metabolites and the expression of stress responsive genes and stimulates antioxidant activities to counter the toxic effects of salt stress. Therefore, to better understand the role of Zn in plants under SS, we have discussed the various mechanisms by which Zn induces salinity tolerance in plants. We have also identified diverse research gaps that must be filled in future research programs. The present review article will fill the knowledge gaps on the role of Zn in mitigating salinity stress. This review will also help readers to learn more about the role of Zn and will provide new suggestions on how this knowledge can be used to develop salt tolerance in plants by using Zn.