SNF1-related protein kinase in plants: roles in stress response and signaling

SNF1-related protein kinases (SnRKs) get their name from their fungal counterpart SFN1, which is a regulator of carbon metabolism. SnRK performs critical roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses by activating protein phosphorylation pathways. 1 SnRK has been identified as the critical switch in plant sugar signaling. SnRKs in plants may be classified into three subfamilies based on sequence similarity and gene structure: SnRK1, SnRK2, and SnRK3. Because of its important involvement at the interface of metabolic and stress signaling, SnRKs are promising candidates for modification to improve crop performance in adverse environments. The importance of the SnRK in abiotic stress tolerance was highlighted in this chapter, and its applications are likely to benefit crop breeding.