Mechanistic understanding of GABA and trehalose in modulating plant response to drought stress

作者：Ambika Choudhary, Eugenie Nepovimová, Vishnu D. Rajput, Tabarak Malik, Monika Choudhary, Nidhi Bhardwaj, Lukas Peter, Sunil Puri, Neetika Kimta · 发表于：Plant Stress · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.stress.2025.100838 · 被引用次数：12 · 研究领域：GABA and Rice Research、Seed Germination and Physiology、Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance

• Plants use GABA and trehalose to combat drought stress. • GABA enhances photosynthesis, regulates ROS, and stabilizes cells. • Trehalose protects membranes, reduces damage, and boosts metabolism. • GABA and trehalose improve drought resilience and crop performance. Drought stress is one of the most critical environmental factors that hinders plant growth, productivity, and survival worldwide. This review presents the detrimental effects of drought stress on plant growth, its development, and key physical, physiological, and biochemical traits. It is also reviewing effective strategies related to drought management to alleviate these impacts. In fact, plants employ various physiological and biochemical mechanisms to counteract drought stress, with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and trehalose emerging as significant masters of drought tolerance. GABA is an amino acid that isn't found in proteins. It is an important osmoprotectant, antioxidant, and signaling molecule that changes how stress-responsive pathways work. It enhances photosynthetic efficiency, regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS), and stabilizes cellular structures. Similarly, trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide, acts as a crucial osmolyte, protecting plants from dehydration by stabilizing proteins and membranes, decreasing oxidative damage, and enhancing metabolic efficiency. Both molecules play essential roles in stress-related gene regulation, scavenging of ROS, and maintaining homeostasis of cellular environme...