Diverse roles of jasmonates and ethylene in abiotic stress tolerance

• Enhancing the resilience of crops to abiotic stress factors will be increasingly important under climate change.
• Jasmonates and ethylene are plant hormones primarily associated with plant defense.
• Comparable and contrasting molecular mechanisms are employed by these phytohormones in abiotic stress tolerance.
• Understanding jasmonate- and ethylene-mediated abiotic stress tolerance can provide new avenues for enhancing stress tolerance.

Jasmonates (JAs) and ethylene (ET), often acting cooperatively, play essential roles in regulating plant defense against pests and pathogens. Recent research reviewed here has revealed mechanistic new insights into the mode of action of these hormones in plant abiotic stress tolerance. During cold stress, JAs and ET differentially regulate the C-repeat binding factor (CBF) pathway. Major JA and ET signaling hubs such as JAZ proteins, CTR1, MYC2, components of the mediator complex, EIN2, EIN3, and several members of the AP2/ERF transcription factor gene family all have complex regulatory roles during abiotic stress adaptation. Better understanding the roles of these phytohormones in plant abiotic stress tolerance will contribute to the development of crop plants tolerant to a wide range of stressful environments.