Recent insights into plant circadian clock response against abiotic stress

Abstract

The circadian clock is a cell autonomously and endogenously regulated biological timekeeper that detects changes in environmental stimuli and generates 24-h rhythms that are synched with day to day and periodic oscillations to govern many biological functions. Plant's circadian clocks enable them to anticipate environmental changes by modifying their physiological and biological traits to improve plant fitness. The internal circadian clock not only aids fitness but also allows the plant to time-gate the response to environmental stimuli. The latest evidence on the circadian clock suggests that the clock regulates/modulates the expression of abiotic stress-responsive pathways to improve tolerance to stresses without hampering plant growth. In turn, stress signaling also influences the activity of several clock components. This review emphasizes the interplay of the biological circadian clock with abiotic stress-responsive pathways (drought, heat, cold, and salt) for plant growth and survival as well as for stress resilience. A better comprehension of these mechanisms could aid in the development of genetic tools to improve breeding procedures and plant stress tolerance, thereby increasing crop yield and quality under changing ecological conditions.