Genes for Plant Abiotic Stress

Matthew A. Jenks is Professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at the Center for Plant Environmental Stress Physiology at Purdue University. Andrew J. Wood is Professor of Stress Physiology and Molecular Biology in the Department of Plant Biology at Southern Illinois University.

• Contributors ixPreface xiiiSection 1 Genetic Determinants of Plant Adaptation under Water Stress 3Chapter 1 Genetic Determinants of Stomatal Function 5Song Li and Sarah M. AssmannIntroduction 5Arabidopsis as a Model System 7How Do Stomates Sense Drought Stress? 7Signaling Events inside Guard Cells in Response to Drought 11Cell Signaling Mutants with Altered Stomatal Responses 15Transcriptional Regulation in Stomatal Drought Response 22Summary 24References 25Chapter 2 Pathways and Genetic Determinants for Cell Wall–based Osmotic Stress Tolerance in the Arabidopsis thaliana Root System 35Hisashi KoiwaIntroduction 35Genes That Affect the Cell Wall and Plant Stress Tolerance 35Genes and Proteins in Cellulose Biosynthesis 36Pathways Involved in N-glycosylation and N-glycan Modifications 38Dolichol Biosynthesis 38Sugar-nucleotide Biosynthesis 39Assembly of Core Oligosaccharide 40Oligosaccharyltransferase 40Processing of Core Oligosaccharides in the ER 42Unfolded Protein Response and Osmotic Stress Signaling 42N-glycan Re-glycosylation and ER-associated Protein Degradation 44N-glycan Modification in the Golgi Apparatus 44Ascorbate as an Interface between the N-glycosylation Pathway and Oxidative Stress Response 46Biosynthesis of GPI Anchor 46Microtubules 47Conclusion 48References 49Chapter 3 Transcription and Signaling Factors in the Drought Response Regulatory Network 55Matthew GeislerIntroduction 55Drought Stress Perception 55Systems Biology Approaches 56Transcriptomic Studies of Drought Stress 63The DREB/CBF Regulon 66ABA Signaling 71Reactive Oxygen Signaling 72Integration of Stress Regulatory Networks 72Assembling the Known Pathways and Expanding Using Gene Expression Networks’ Predicted Protein Interactions 74Acknowledgments 75References 75Section 2 Genes for Crop Adaptation to Poor Soil 81Chapter 4 Genetic Determinants of Salinity Tolerance in Crop Plants 83Darren Plett, Bettina Berger, and Mark TesterIntroduction 83Salinity Tolerance 85Conclusion 100References 100Chapter 5 Unraveling the Mechanisms Underlying Aluminum-dependent Root Growth Inhibition 113Paul B. LarsenIntroduction 113Mechanisms of Aluminum Toxicity 114Aluminum Resistance Mechanisms 117Aluminum Tolerance Mechanisms 120Arabidopsis as a Model System for Aluminum Resistance, Tolerance, and Toxicity 121Aluminum-sensitive Arabidopsis Mutants 121The Role of ALS3 in A1 Tolerance 122ALS1 Encodes a Half-type ABC Transporter Required for Aluminum Tolerance 126Other Arabidopsis Factors Required for Aluminum Resistance/Tolerance 128Identification of Aluminum-tolerant Mutants in Arabidopsis 129The Nature of the alt1 Mutations 132Conclusions 138References 138Chapter 6 Genetic Determinants of Phosphate Use Effi ciency in Crops 143Fulgencio Alatorre-Cobos, Damar López-Arredondo, and Luis Herrera-EstrellaIntroduction 143Why Improve Crop Nutrition and the Relationship with World Food Security? 143Phosphorus and Crops: Phosphorus as an Essential Nutrient and Its Supply as a Key Component to Crop Yield 144Phosphorus and Plant Metabolism: Regulatory and Structural Functions 145Phosphate Starvation: Adaptations to Phosphate Starvation and Current Knowledge about Phosphate Sensing and Signaling Networks during Phosphate Stress 146Nutrient Use Efficiency 150Genetic Determinants for the Phosphate Acquisition 150Genetic Determinants for Pi Acquisition by Modulating Root System Architecture 153Genetic Determinants Involved with Phosphorus Utilization Efficiency 155Genetic Engineering to Improve the Phosphate Use Efficiency 156Conclusions 158References 158Chapter 7 Genes for Use in Improving Nitrate Use Efficiency in Crops 167David A. LightfootIntroduction 167The Two Forms of NUE: Regulation of Nitrogen Partitioning and Yield in Crops 169Mutants as Tools to Isolate Important Plant Genes 169Transcript Analysis 174Metanomic Tools for Extending Functional Genomics 174Transgenics Lacking A Priori Evidence for NUE 175Microbial Activity 176Nodule Effects and Mycorrhizal Effects 178Water Effects 178Conclusions 178References 179Section 3 Genes for Plant Tolerance to Temperature Extremes 183Chapter 8 Genes and Gene Regulation for Low-temperature Tolerance 185Mantas Survila, Pekka Heino, and E. Tapio PalvaIntroduction 185Protective Mechanisms Induced during Cold Acclimation 188Regulation of Gene Expression 192Cross Talk between Abiotic and Biotic Stress Responses 207Conclusions and Future Perspectives 207Acknowledgments 209References 209Chapter 9 Genetic Approaches toward Improving Heat Tolerance in Plants 221Mamatha Hanumappa and Henry T. NguyenIntroduction 221Thermotolerance 221High Temperature Impact and Plant Response to Heat Stress 223Mechanism of Heat Tolerance in Plants 230Genetic Approaches to Improve Heat Tolerance in Crops 235The Effect of Stress Combination 244Evolving Techniques 246Conclusion and Perspectives 247References 247Section 4 Integrating Plant Abiotic Stress Responses 261Chapter 10 Genetic Networks Underlying Plant Abiotic Stress Responses 263Arjun Krishnan, Madana M.R. Ambavaram, Amal Harb, Utlwang Batlang, Peter E. Wittich, and Andy PereiraIntroduction 263Plant Responses to Environmental Stresses 264Transcriptome Analysis of Abiotic Stress Responses 270Gene Network of Universal Abiotic Stress Response 274Conclusions 276References 276Chapter 11 Discovering Genes for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants 281Michael Popelka, Mitchell Tuinstra, and Clifford F. WeilIntroduction 281Salt Stress 286Heat Stress 287Oxidative Stress 288Nutrient/Mineral Stress 289Plant Architecture and Morphology 290Evolutionary Conservation and Gene Discovery 291Conclusion 292References 292Index 303