Lignin: the Building Block of Defense Responses to Stress in Plants

Lignin is a complex aromatic biopolymer important for providing mechanical strength to the cell wall and resistance against both biotic and abiotic stresses. It helps in plant growth by providing physical strength and helping in long distance transport of water and minerals. Lignin biosynthetic genes are known to be induced under both biotic and abiotic stresses, and perturbations in lignin biosynthesis has shown to result in changes in plants defense responses against these stresses. It’s important to understand how these sophisticated mechanisms are employed by the plants to adapt to the adverse climatic conditions and develop more resilient plant varieties. In this review, we try to deliver a thorough comprehension of how lignin biosynthesis is altered under various environmental conditions. We believe this information will be useful in understanding the role of different lignin biosynthetic genes in conferring resistance against different stresses.