ABSTRACT
Plants are subjected to abiotic stress in various forms from germination through maturity. Stress tolerance behavior not only makes plants very plastic, but it also provides an opportunity to understand the dynamic complexity of the responses. Identification of genes/QTLs, their regulators, transporters, epigenetic control, chromatin remodeling, and other players behind their reprogramming of expression leading metabolic changes in terms of enzymatic activity, cell signaling, or any other means is very crucial to be characterized using the functional genomics tools nowadays. Multiphase tracking of stress response phases, coupled with a mapping of players involved, may provide insight into the current crosstalk of trans-acting elements and plant hormones. Research in this area has been made more feasible by whole-genome transcriptomics. A complex regulatory network orchestrates unfavorable growth conditions, including upstream signal molecules and different trans-acting elements. This chapter outlines the current knowledge along with the progress in the understanding of stress-responsive transcription factors and their role in conferring multiple stress tolerance in plants. The fine-tuning of stress-regulating elements to control plant adaptation to stress will raise the feasibility to relieve the pressure of environmental changes by achieving agricultural sustainability and food security.
