Versatile roles of trehalose in plant growth and development and responses to abiotic stress

Trehalose is a natural nonreducing disaccharide that is found in most organisms, such as yeasts, bacteria, invertebrates and plants. Trehalose plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development and stress response. Thus, in this review, we discuss the physical and chemical properties of trehalose, its function in plant growth and development, and the regulatory mechanism of its response to abiotic stresses such as drought, salt, and extreme temperature. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference for further analysis on the mechanism of trehalose in regulating plant growth and development and stress resistance.