Phytohormonal Regulation of Plant Responses to Major Abiotic Stresses: From Signaling Pathways to Hormonal Crosstalk

Plants are constantly exposed to diverse abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, which severely limit growth, development, and crop productivity. These stresses disrupt physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes, leading to reduced photosynthesis, altered water and ion homeostasis, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Plants have evolved sophisticated sensing and signaling mechanisms to perceive these stresses, with phytohormones playing central roles in mediating adaptive responses. Key hormones, including abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonates (JAs), gibberellins (GAs), auxin (IAA), ethylene (ET), melatonin, and strigolactones (SLs), regulate stress tolerance by controlling stomatal behavior, root architecture, antioxidant systems, osmolyte accumulation, and stress-responsive gene expression. Importantly, these hormones operate within an intricate network of crosstalk, integrating multiple signaling pathways to balance growth and stress adaptation. Interactions among ABA, GA, JA, SA, auxin, ET, SLs, and melatonin enable plants to coordinate transcriptional regulation, protein phosphorylation, and ROS signaling, optimizing survival under fluctuating environmental conditions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying hormonal crosstalk and their roles in abiotic stress tolerance provides valuable insights for developing resilient crops in the face of climate change.