Affiliation:
1. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Division, Department of Botany University of Calicut Malapuram Kerala India
2. Stockbridge School of Agriculture University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts USA
Abstract
AbstractThe significance of priming in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance is well‐established in several important crops. Priming positively impacts plant growth and improves stress tolerance at multiple developmental stages, and seed priming is one of the most used methods. Seed priming influences the pre‐germinative metabolism that ensures proper germination, early seedling establishment, enhanced stress tolerance and yield, even under unfavourable environmental conditions. Seed priming involves pre‐exposure of seeds to mild stress, and this pre‐treatment induces specific changes at the physiological and molecular levels. Interestingly, priming can improve the efficiency of the DNA repair mechanism, along with activation of specific signalling proteins and transcription factors for rapid and efficient stress tolerance. Notably, such acquired stress tolerance may be retained for longer duration, namely, later developmental stages or even subsequent generations. Epigenetic and chromatin‐based mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and nucleosome positioning are some of the key molecular changes involved in priming/stress memory. Further, the retention of induced epigenetic changes may influence the priming‐induced trans‐generational stress memory. This review discusses known and plausible seed priming‐induced molecular mechanisms that govern germination and stress memory within and across generations, highlighting their role in regulating the plant response to abiotic stresses. Understanding the molecular mechanism for activation of stress‐responsive genes and the epigenetic changes resulting from seed priming will help to improve the resiliency of the crops for enhanced productivity under extreme environments.
Funder
University Grants Commission
Subject
Cell Biology,Plant Science,Genetics,General Medicine,Physiology
Cited by
6 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献