FIGURE 2.

Diagram of basic and general stress responses caused by high soil salinity or drought. Under stress, plant cells try to counteract cellular dehydration through ion homeostasis and osmotic balance (Zhu, 2001; Munns and Tester, 2008; Kronzucker and Britto, 2011). Osmolytes not only contribute to osmotic adjustment, but also play ‘osmoprotectant’ roles (Ashraf and Foolad, 2007; Chen and Murata, 2008; Flowers and Colmer, 2008; Szabados and Savouré, 2010). They act as low-molecular-weight chaperons, directly stabilizing macromolecular structures and have additional functions in the mechanisms of response to stress, as ‘reactive oxygen species’ (ROS) scavengers, signal transduction elements or molecules for the storage of C and/or N and energy to be used during recovery from stress. The diagram has been elaborated by the authors.