Recent advancements in the role of histone acetylation dynamics to improve stress responses in plants

Abstract

In eukaryotes, transcriptional regulation is determined by the DNA sequence and is facilitated through sophisticated and complex chromatin alterations and histone remodelling. Recent research has shown that the histone acetylation dynamic, an intermittent and reversible substitution, constitutes a prerequisite for chromatin modification. These changes in chromatin structure modulate genome-wide and specific changes in response to external and internal cues like cell differentiation, development, growth, light temperature, and biotic stresses. Histone acetylation dynamics also control the cell cycle. HATs and HDACs play a critical role in gene expression modulation during plant growth and response to environmental circumstances. It has been well established that HATs and HDACs interact with various distinct transcription factors and chromatin-remodelling proteins (CRPs) involved in the transcriptional regulation of several developmental processes. This review explores recent research on histone acyltransferases and histone deacetylases, mainly focusing on their involvement in plant biotic stress responses. Moreover, we also emphasized the research gaps that must be filled to fully understand the complete function of histone acetylation dynamics during biotic stress responses in plants. A thorough understanding of histone acetylation will make it possible to enhance tolerance against various kinds of stress and decrease yield losses in many crops.

Keywords: Biotic stress; Chromatin modification; Histone acyltransferases; Histone deacetylases; Histone remodelling.