Light and abscisic acid interplay in early seedling development

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in plant development, regulating germination, seedling development and stomatal movements, especially under adverse conditions. Light interacts with the ABA signalling pathway to fine tune these processes. Here, we provide an overview of the recent investigations on ABA–light interplay during early plant development after germination. We discuss the multilayered and reciprocal interactions between ABA signalling components and several light signalling modulators, including photoreceptors, transcription factors and posttranslational modifiers. ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 acts as a central convergence point for these interactions during postgermination seedling development. ABA also regulates the adaptation of seedlings to challenging light environments. Furthermore, we enlist the role of ABA–light cross-talk in regulating seedling establishment in crops and highlight open questions for future investigations.