Chromatin regulation functions in plant abiotic stress responses

Plant Cell Environ. 2010 Apr;33(4):604-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02076.x. Epub 2009 Nov 17.

Abstract

Plants respond and adapt to drought, cold and high-salinity stress in order to survive. Molecular and genomic studies have revealed that many stress-inducible genes with various functions and signalling factors, such as transcription factors, protein kinases and protein phosphatases, are involved in the stress responses. Recent studies have revealed the coordination of the gene expression and chromatin regulation in response to the environmental stresses. Several histone modifications are dramatically altered on the stress-responsive gene regions under drought stress conditions. Several chromatin-related proteins such as histone modification enzymes, linker histone H1 and components of chromatin remodeling complex influence the gene regulation in the stress responses. This review briefly describes chromatin regulation in response to drought, cold and high-salinity stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly*
  • Cold Temperature
  • DNA Methylation
  • Droughts
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Plants / enzymology
  • Plants / genetics*
  • Plants / metabolism
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Salinity
  • Stress, Physiological*

Substances

  • Histones