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Genetic Mechanisms of Drought Stress Tolerance, Implications of Transgenic Crops for Agriculture

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Agroecology and Strategies for Climate Change

Part of the book series: Sustainable Agriculture Reviews ((SARV,volume 8))

Abstract

This chapter review effects of drought stress on plants, and presents a list of transgenic plants tolerating drought stress. Many abiotic and biotic stresses are regularly affecting agricultural production. None are now under direct human control. Abiotic stresses such as drought, extreme temperature and salinity have clearly changed crops growth and yields in last two decades. Drought stress is the major stress affecting crop growth, development and yields. Drought stress may leave the lands barren for years to come if not taken care of at the right time. Drought is a major phenomenon leading to major crop losses. We can see the degree of drought stress severity on plants by symptoms and effects on physiological metabolisms and yield. Many symptoms of drought stress are clear such as leaf rolling, yellowing (chlorosis), browning and wilting. At the physiological level, drought stress alters the complete physiology and metabolism of plants. Drought stress modifies photosynthetic rate, relative water content, leaf water potential, and stomata conductance. Ultimately, it destabilizes the membrane structure and permeability, protein ­structure and function, leading to cell death.

We reviewed the severity of drought stress and molecular mechanisms adopted by plants. Plants can escape, avoid or tolerate drought stress using unusual mechanisms. Tolerance against drought is provided either directly through metabolites like trehalose, mannitol, glycinebetaine or indirectly through regulation of gene expression by ­transcription factors and kinases in signal transduction. The molecular response of plants to drought stress has been often considered as a complex process mainly based on the modulation of transcriptional activity of stress-related genes. Understanding the mechanisms behind these molecules and genes is needed for their usage in developing transgenics that would withstand drought stress and improve the agriculture productivity.

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Abbreviations

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

CAT:

catalase

POD:

peroxidases

GDH:

Glutamate dehydrogenase

TPS:

trehalose phosphate synthase

GSMT:

glycine sarcosine methyltransferase

DMT:

dimethyl glycine methyltransferase

COX:

choline oxidase

CODA:

choline dehydrogenase

ADC:

arginine decarboxylase

SPDS:

spermidine synthase

ODC:

ornithine decarboxylase

SAMDC:

S-adenosyl-methionine decarboxylase

P5CS:

pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase

PEG:

polyethylene glycol

IMT:

myoinositol O-methyl transferase

LEA:

late embryogenesis abundant

HSP:

heat shock protein

DREB:

dehydration-responsive element binding protein

CBF:

C-repeat binding factor

CDPK:

calcium dependent protein kinase

MAPK:

mitogen activated protein kinase

CBL:

calcineurin B-like protein

TF:

transcription factors

ERA1:

enhanced response to ABA 1 farnesyltransferase

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. P. S. Ahuja, Director, IHBT, for his continuous encouragement and guidance. JB would like to acknowledge Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Govt. of India for providing Diamond Jubilee Research Internship and Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India for providing research funds to the laboratory.

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  1. Plant Metabolic Engineering and Nanobiology Laboratory, Biotechnology Division, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, CSIR, Palampur, 176 061, HP, India

    Jyoti Bhardwaj & Sudesh Kumar Yadav

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  1. Jyoti Bhardwaj
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Correspondence to Sudesh Kumar Yadav .

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Bhardwaj, J., Yadav, S.K. (2012). Genetic Mechanisms of Drought Stress Tolerance, Implications of Transgenic Crops for Agriculture. In: Lichtfouse, E. (eds) Agroecology and Strategies for Climate Change. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1905-7_9

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