Role of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in Plant Defense Response
Zhujuan Guo,
Junqing Gong,
Shuitian Luo,
Yixin Zuo,
Yingbai Shen
Affiliations
Zhujuan Guo
National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China
Junqing Gong
National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China
Shuitian Luo
National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China
Yixin Zuo
National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China
Yingbai Shen
National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Beijing 100083, China
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid that acts as a defense substance and a signaling molecule in various physiological processes, and which helps plants respond to biotic and abiotic stresses. This review focuses on the role of GABA’s synthetic and metabolic pathways in regulating primary plant metabolism, redistributing carbon and nitrogen resources, reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and improving plants’ tolerance of oxidative stress. This review also highlights the way in which GABA maintains intracellular pH homeostasis by acting as a buffer and activating H+-ATPase. In addition, calcium signals participate in the accumulation process of GABA under stress. Moreover, GABA also transmits calcium signals through receptors to trigger downstream signaling cascades. In conclusion, understanding the role of GABA in this defense response provides a theoretical basis for applying GABA in agriculture and forestry and feasible coping strategies for plants in complex and changeable environments.
