Role of phospholipase D in abiotic stress tolerance of plants

Abstract

The membrane lipids serve as the first line of defence to protect the cells from stress. The membrane glycerophospholipids and the associated enzymes have an important role in membrane stability, fluidity, and function. One of the key regulators in membrane dynamics is phospholipase D (PLD) which produces phosphatidic acid for dual working as a producer of membrane lipid diversity and as a secondary messenger. Phosphatidic acid has a binding affinity for many effector proteins including NADPH oxidase, and MAP kinases which actively participate in signalling pathways. Under various abiotic stresses, the role of various isoforms of PLD has been documented. The different isoforms behave differently. Two isoforms PLDα and PLDδ have been studied well and through the mutant analyses, their role under specific stress conditions has been highlighted. There is a cross-talk among PA, Ca2+ and NO through integrated signalling pathways, which need further investigation for dissecting the role of individual species.