14-3-3 proteins and cold stress: a possible novel mechanism involving 14-3-3 regulation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase and Phospholipase D

Plants are constantly exposed to different environmental stresses such as extreme temperatures, high salinity, excess or lack of water, light and nutrients that strongly limit plant growth and significantly reduce crop yield. Low temperature is one of the most relevant stress that, besides adversely affecting the crop productivity, determines the geographical distribution of agricultural crops. Plants exposed to low temperatures respond with changes in their pattern of gene expression and protein products that result in metabolic adjustment. Understanding the mechanism of cold stress tolerance and genes involved in the cold stress signaling network is important for crop improvement. Since temperature stress strongly affects the functionality of plasma membrane, the effect of low temperature was investigated on the activity of two plasma membrane enzymes, the phospholipase D (PLD) and the H+ -ATPase, both playing a pivotal role in several plant physiological processes and stress responses.