Revealing the Epigenetic Mechanisms Underlying the Stress Response in Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Epigenetics involves a heritable change in gene expression patterns in response to any stress in plants. To cope with various types of environmental stressors, plants possess intricate physiological and biochemical processes. The epigenetic alterations are principally responsible for the changes in the transcriptome and proteome. Medicinal plants are a valuable source of new and innovative medicines. Plants may develop a defense response to combat abiotic environmen-tal stress by creating a variety of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) to escape from cell and tissue damage. In most cases, plants opt for one of two pathways: either synthesize new compounds from scratch or boost the quantity of already-existing PSMs. Most PSMs with antioxidant properties, such as terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds, are involved in plant defense. Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and methyl-ation of histone proteins, primarily regulate transcription and translation. The current review highlights and examines the role that various epigenetic modifications play in plants’ reactions to abiotic stress. Although many abiotic pressures cause comparable initial reactions in plants, new research has revealed that certain abiotic stresses may cause epigenetic changes in plants. This review will also provide a thorough explanation of the abiotic stress-related reactions and underlying biological processes in plants. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.