Coordinate Changes in Assimilatory Sulfate Reduction are Correlated to Salt Tolerance: Involvement of Phytohormones

Abstract

Salt stress affected areas are increasing significantly all over the world leading to the adverse effects on plant growth and development and productivity of agricultural crops. For better suitability of plants with the changing environment, plants show well-defined metabolic alterations primarily in response to nutrient availability in the environment as an adaptive response. Thus, the management of salt stress is a function of nutritional status of the plant. The uptake and assimilation of sulfur plays a pivotal role in development and metabolic processes of plants and is an integral part of several important compounds, such as vitamins, co-enzymes, phytohormones and reduced sulfur compounds that decipher growth and vigour of plants under optimal and stressful environments. Assimilatory sulfate reduction may induce salt tolerance by coordinating various physiological processes and molecular mechanisms which are likely to be induced by phytohormones. The present review provides an update on physiological and molecular approaches associated with salt stress and details out how sulfur assimilation and phytohormones induce salt tolerance.