Stress response crosstalk in plants - a review

There are different levels at which abiotic and biotic stress can interact, depending on the type of stress (ionic or osmotic), the lifestyle, the pathogen infection strategy (biotrophic or necrotrophic, infection by direct penetration through stomata, etc.), and the stage of pathogenesis. Scientists have primarily studied plant responses to individual stress, but few have explored the complex stress response in plants against combined or sequential abiotic stresses and their interaction. Understanding the regulatory networks in agronomically important crops can help design strategies for developing plants with tolerance to multiple stress combinations, considering the world population's current food needs. Stress-tolerant plant varieties can develop when one stress can mask the effects of another stress, allowing for better growth and resistance to environmental stressors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent studies that examine the interactive effects of combined and sequential stresses on crop plants. We assume that this work will ameliorate our understanding and elucidate the mechanism of stress tolerance in plants. Additionally, it will provide valuable insights for plant physiologists, agronomists, and molecular biologists. (author)