Reprograming stress memory in plants: primeomics

Agricultural crops and fruits are exposed to a wide range of abiotic stressors throughout their lifecycle, which significantly impair production, quality, and global food security. Priming induces a physio-biochemical response and the expression of stress-related genes, activating various cellular defense responses and metabolic pathways, allowing plants to respond to abiotic stress more quickly and robustly. Priming the plant, seedlings, or fruit with natural or chemical compounds that rewire the plant’s stress memory provides a unique way to promote adaptive stress responses to various stresses. This book chapter aims to provide an overview of the existing knowledge on the unique and shared molecular mechanisms occurring at the epigenetic, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels. These mechanisms are influenced by various stress-related compounds and metabolites, including melatonin, sodium nitroprusside, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen peroxide, amino acids, sodium hydrosulfide, phytohormones, polyamines, and many more. Overall, the opportunities for priming are discussed, with the goal of stimulating further research toward successful crop stress management.