The roles of plant proteases and protease inhibitors in drought response: a review.

Upon exposure to drought, plants undergo complex signal transduction events with concomitant changes in the expression of genes, proteins and metabolites. For example, proteomics studies continue to identify multitudes of drought-responsive proteins with diverse roles in drought adaptation. Among these are protein degradation processes that activate enzymes and signalling peptides, recycle nitrogen sources, and maintain protein turnover and homeostasis under stressful environments.