In: Phyton, 50 Fasc. 2 (2011), S. 181-204 with 1 figure

Key words: Invertases, sucrose synthase, source-sink relations, abiotic stress, crosstalk.

Summary

Albacete A., Grosskinsky D. K. & Roitsch T. 2011. Trick and Treat: A review on the function and regulation of plant invertases in the abiotic stress response. – Phyton (Horn, Austria) 50 (2): 181–204, with 1 figure.

The disaccharide sucrose and the cleavage products glucose and fructose are the central molecules for carbohydrate translocation, metabolism and sugar sensing in higher plants. Invertases mediate the hydrolytic cleavage of sucrose into the hexose monomers. Abiotic stresses modify source-sink relations and thus influence adaptation and responses that alter plant growth and development and ultimately crop productivity. It has become evident that invertases play an important role in the response of the plant to environmental stimuli because their substrates and reaction products are both nutrients and signal molecules. Thus, the induction of sink strength through invertases is a general response to sustain the signaling cascade under abiotic stress conditions. However, plants undergo continuous exposure to various biotic and abiotic stresses in their natural environment. With their influence on phytohormone and MAP-Kinase signaling networks, invertases seem to be also involved in the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress responses. Invertases thus work as pivotal enzymes at the integration point of metabolic, hormonal, and stress signals. This review explores the function and regulation of plant invertases under abiotic stress conditions and the possible role of these key enzymes as a convergence point between biotic and abiotic stress signaling pathways.