Measuring Plant Stress Using the Protein Hsp90 as a Biomarker

Securing food and energy production, while also preserving natural habitats and maintaining biodiversity, represents one of the greatest current challenges for our society. Climatological and hydrological disasters are on the rise, causing more than US$ 400 billion in global economic losses. Moreover, it is estimated that every year up to 40% of global crop production is lost due to plant pests and diseases alone. Therefore, there is an increasing need to find new technologies and methodologies to enhance plant health and plant productivity by early detection and diagnosis of plant stress. Plants respond to stress through complex signalling pathways, involving regulatory proteins, and biochemical mechanisms that help alleviate stress and adapt to change. In this case study, we present an overview of how plants perceive stress and the approaches available to detect stress in plants, followed by a case study of how Hsp90, an important and ubiquitous molecular chaperone protein, can be used as a plant stress biomarker.