ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a summary of the basic characteristics of the plant stress response at the proteome level, including general and specific characteristics of the major abiotic stress factors. Plant stress response is a dynamic process, in which specific phases with differential stress resistance and a unique proteome composition can be distinguished: an alarm phase, an acclimation phase, a resistance phase, an exhaustion phase, and a recovery phase. The environmental stress factors reveal common as well as specific effects on plant cellular homeostasis leading to induction of the plant stress response. Signal transduction from the plasma membrane into the nucleus is ensured by cascades of signaling proteins using reversible posttranslational modifications: phosphorylation followed by signal transduction, modulation, and amplification. Photosynthesis represents the most crucial process of energy metabolism due to the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy, which is necessary for stress acclimation.
