Role of jasmonate signaling in the regulation of plant responses to nutrient deficiency

Phytohormones regulate plant growth and development by integrating various internal developmental cues with external environmental conditions. Jasmonic acid (JA) is an oxylipin-derived phytohormone that modulates the plasticity of plant responses against fluctuating environmental cues. An increasing number of studies have shown that it regulates a wide spectrum of plant physiological and biochemical processes, including reproductive development, primary root growth, root hair development, seed germination, senescence, regeneration, defense against biotic stress such as pathogen infection and herbivory, and mitigation of a number of abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, high and low temperatures, wounding, excessive UV exposure, limited water availability, and metal(oid)-induced toxicity. Nutrient deficiency is an abiotic stress that adversely affects plant growth, development, and productivity, and JA also plays an important role in regulation of these processes under such conditions. In this review, we summarize recent advances relating to the role of JA and its methyl ester derivative (methyl jasmonate) in modulating responses to nutrient deficiency, to the impact of nutrient status on JA biosynthesis and signaling, and to the crosstalk of JA with other phytohormones in shaping plant growth and development under deficiencies of various mineral elements.