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Polyamines: molecules with regulatory functions in plant abiotic stress tolerance

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Abstract

Early studies on plant polyamine research pointed to their involvement in responses to different environmental stresses. During the last few years, genetic, transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches have unravelled key functions of different polyamines in the regulation of abiotic stress tolerance. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanism(s) by which polyamines control plant responses to stress stimuli are largely unknown. Recent studies indicate that polyamine signalling is involved in direct interactions with different metabolic routes and intricate hormonal cross-talks. Here we discuss the integration of polyamines with other metabolic pathways by focusing on molecular mechanisms of their action in abiotic stress tolerance. Recent advances in the cross talk between polyamines and abscisic acid are discussed and integrated with processes of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling, generation of nitric oxide, modulation of ion channel activities and Ca2+ homeostasis, amongst others.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

ACC:

Amino cyclopropane carboxylic acid

ACL5:

Acaulis5

ADC:

Arginine decarboxylase

AIH:

Agmatine iminohydrolase

CPA:

N-Carbamoyl putrescine amidohydrolase

DAO:

Diamine oxidase

Dap:

1,3-Diaminopropane

dcSAM:

Decarboxylated SAM

FAD:

Flavin adenine dinucleotide

GABA:

γ-Aminobutyric acid

LSD:

Lysine-specific demethylase

NO:

Nitric oxide

ODC:

Ornithine decarboxylase

PAO:

Polyamine oxidase

Pro:

Proline

Put:

Putrescine

SAM:

S-Adenosyl methionine

SAMDC:

S-Adenosyl methionine decaboxylase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SMO:

Spermine oxidase

Spd:

Spermidine

SDPS:

Spermidine synthase

Spm:

Spermine

SPMS:

Spermine synthase

TCA:

Tricarboxylic acid

tSpm:

Thermospermine

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Acknowledgments

We apologize to the researchers, whose works are not cited in this review due to space limitation. We are grateful to our past and present colleagues. Our research was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain (BIO2005-09252-C02-01 and BIO2008-05493-C02-01) and the Comissionat per Universitats i Recerca (Generalitat de Catalunya, SGR2009-1060). AFT, CK, MR, RA and PC also acknowledge grants-in-aid from COST-Action FA0605.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Productes Naturals, Biologia Vegetal i Edafologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XIII s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Teresa Altabella, Cristina Bortolotti & Antonio F. Tiburcio

  2. Max-Planck Institut für Züchtungsforschung, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany

    Rubén Alcázar, Matthieu Reymond & Csaba Koncz

  3. Fundacion CEAM, Parque Tecnologic c/Charles Darwin 14, Paterna, 46980, Valencia, Spain

    Francisco Marco

  4. Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain

    Pedro Carrasco

Authors
  1. Rubén Alcázar
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  2. Teresa Altabella
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  3. Francisco Marco
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  4. Cristina Bortolotti
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  5. Matthieu Reymond
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  6. Csaba Koncz
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  7. Pedro Carrasco
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  8. Antonio F. Tiburcio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio F. Tiburcio.

Additional information

This review is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Arthur W. Galston (Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA) for his pioneering work and important contribution to the plant polyamine field.

R. Alcázar and T. Altabella contributed equally to this work.

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Alcázar, R., Altabella, T., Marco, F. et al. Polyamines: molecules with regulatory functions in plant abiotic stress tolerance. Planta 231, 1237–1249 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-010-1130-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-010-1130-0

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