Global warming and climate change intensified the occurrence and severity of abiotic stresses that seriously affect the growth and development of plants,especially, plant photosynthesis. The direct impact of abiotic stress on the activity of photosynthesis is disruption of all photosynthesis components such as photosystem I and II, electron transport, carbon fixation, ATP generating system and stomatal conductance. The photosynthetic system of plants reacts to the stress differently, according to the plant type, photosynthetic systems (C3 or C4), type of the stress, time and duration of the occurrence and several other factors. The plant responds to the stresses by a coordinate chloroplast and nuclear gene expression. Chloroplast, thylakoid membrane, and nucleus are the main targets of regulated proteins and metabolites associated with photosynthetic pathways. Rapid responses of plant cell metabolism and adaptation to photosynthetic machinery are key factors for survival of plants in a fluctuating environment. This review gives a comprehensive view of photosynthesis-related alterations at the gene and protein levels for plant adaptation or reaction in response to abiotic stress.
Placental trophoblast cells are potentially at risk from circulating endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA). To understand how BPA and the reputedly more inert bisphenol S (BPS) affect the placenta, C57BL6J mouse dams were fed 200 μg/kg body weight BPA or BPS daily for 2 wk and then bred. They continued to receive these chemicals until embryonic day 12.5, whereupon placental samples were collected and compared with unexposed controls. BPA and BPS altered the expression of an identical set of 13 genes. Both exposures led to a decrease in the area occupied by spongiotrophoblast relative to trophoblast giant cells (GCs) within the junctional zone, markedly reduced placental serotonin (5-HT) concentrations, and lowered 5-HT GC immunoreactivity. Concentrations of dopamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, the main metabolite of serotonin, were increased. GC dopamine immunoreactivity was increased in BPA- and BPS-exposed placentas. A strong positive correlation between 5-HT+GCs and reductions in spongiotrophoblast to GC area suggests that this neurotransmitter is essential for maintaining cells within the junctional zone. In contrast, a negative correlation existed between dopamine+GCs and reductions in spongiotrophoblast to GC area ratio. These outcomes lead to the following conclusions. First, BPS exposure causes almost identical placental effects as BPA. Second, a major target of BPA/BPS is either spongiotrophoblast or GCs within the junctional zone. Third, imbalances in neurotransmitter-positive GCs and an observed decrease in docosahexaenoic acid and estradiol, also occurring in response to BPA/BPS exposure, likely affect the placental–brain axis of the developing mouse fetus.