The root apoplastic pH as an integrator of plant signaling

Abstract

Plant nutrition, growth, and response to environmental stresses are pH-dependent processes that are regulated at the apoplastic and subcellular levels. The root apoplastic pH is especially sensitive to external cues and can also be modified by intracellular inputs, such as hormonal signaling. Optimal crosstalk of the mechanisms involved in the extent and span of the apoplast pH fluctuations promotes plant resilience to detrimental biotic and abiotic factors. The fact that variations in local pHs are a standard mechanism in different signaling pathways indicates that the pH itself can be the pivotal element to provide a physiological context to plant cell regions, allowing a proportional reaction to different situations. This review brings a collective vision of the causes that initiate root apoplastic pHs variations, their interaction, and how they influence root response outcomes.