Signal Transduction In Plants

An understanding of the mechanisms by which plants perceive environmental cues, both physical and chemical, and transduce the signals that influence specific expression of genes, is an area of intensive scientific research. With the completion of the genome sequence of Arabidopsis it is understood now that a larger number of genes encode for proteins involved in signalling cascades and transcription factors. In this volume, different chapters deal with plant receptors, second messengers like calcium ions, phosphoinositides, salicylic acid and nitrous oxide, calcium binding proteins and kinases. In addition to dealing with the response of plants to light, hormones, pathogens, heat, etc. on cellular activity, work currently going on in apoptosis, cell division, and plastid gene expression is also covered in this book.

This fully updated volume reflects the spectacular advances in our knowledge of signal transduction pathways with a selection of ‘classic’ as well as newly developed approaches. These detailed approaches expand into the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, genetics, and genomics. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and up-to-date, Plant Signal Transduction: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition serves as an ideal guide for researchers exploring the vast array of signals produced by plants to ensure their survival.

This is the first comprehensive monograph on all emerging topics in plant signaling. The book addresses diverse aspects of signaling at all levels of plant organization. Emphasis is placed on the integrative aspects of signaling.

Increasing interest has been emerging in the last decade in the field of signal recognition and transduction. This is particularly true for animal systems where an impressive amount of literature is appearing and where many important pathways have been clarified at a molecular level. In the elucidation of the functions of single components of a given pathway, gene cloning has played a major role and opened the field to the genetic engineering of these complex systems. At variance with this situation, plant systems are less well elucidated, even if in recent years exciting research of developments have been initiated especially with the view toward the most promising role plants in biotechnology. Recent studies have elucidated some of the events involved in the perception of the plant hormone signals and some steps concerning its transduction. Only for three of the five hormones in plants, namely auxin, ethylene and cytokinins, have specific receptors been isolated. The use of classical molecular approaches, together with the more recently isolated mutants, have produced crucial information on receptors and shed light on possible transduction pathways. As in the case of red light, more than one pathway can be triggered by one specific signal. Many systems involved in animal signaling are now shown to be present also in plants, and in view of the fast progress in this area, it will be possible in the near future to fully describe the content of the "black boxes" in the reaction chain specifically triggered by a signal.

The growth and differentiation of living organisms are continuously adjusted to a multitude of environmental factors, each of which underlies a perpetual variation. The sessile existence of plants further emphasizes the requirement for efficient adaptation and defence mechanisms. The changes in environmental factors may range from moderate to dramatic and can concern many components at the same time. They may be abiotic or biotic in nature and range from essential to toxic in their effects. Among the numerous abiotic factors are nutrients, light, oxygen, water, temperature, gravity, wind, touch and chemicals. Biotic factors are represented by other organisms involved in symbiotic, pathogenic or herbivorous interactions with plants. All of these environmental factors are independently and specifically recognized by plants. Perception and overall response are linked by signal transduction pathways at cellular, systemic and interorganismic levels. In order to guarantee proper adaptation to the environment, signals generated following perception of a multitude of environmental factors need to be integrated and evaluated according to their importance. Cross-talk between different signaling pathways within such networks appears to be the basis for the evaluation of the importance of incoming signals. Knowledge of these complex processes allows a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptation. Modulation of distinct signaling elements can generate plants with improved stress resistance. This book represents a comprehensive summary of the enormous amount of information that is now available on signal transduction processes involved in the communication of plants with abiotic and biotic elements of their environment.

Plant growth and development is controlled by various environmental cues that are sensed by the plant via various signal transduction pathways coupled to specific response. Some of these pathways are conserved from yeast to plants being regulated by various kinases and phosphatases. In addition, plants have many unique pathways that transduce to specific signals such as light, phytohormones and oligosaccharides. This volume highlights some of the examples of the plant signal transduction machinery opening new vistas in research on plant growth and development. The new technologies including the use of bacteria, yeast and Arabidopsis as functional complementation systems are providing proof of function of many of the proteins that show homology to those from other organisms. These studies will eventually lead to improvement of crop plants and use of plants as a new resource for producing desirable products to meet the growing needs of mankind.