Summary
This narrative review examines amino acids beyond their primary role as protein precursors, highlighting their functions in nitrogen transport, stress signalling, and cellular defence in plants. The authors synthesise evidence on amino acid sensing mechanisms (PII, TOR pathway) and their roles in hormone and secondary metabolite production, before proposing applications in biostimulants, genetic engineering, and nano-delivery systems for improved crop resilience and nutrient efficiency.
Regional applicability
The review is a synthesis of plant physiology mechanisms and does not report empirical field data from any specific geography. Its mechanistic insights may inform United Kingdom crop breeding and precision agriculture strategies, though the transferability of proposed precision agriculture tools (biostimulants, nano-systems) to UK conditions and regulatory context would require field validation.
Key measures
Mechanistic pathways (GLR receptor-mediated calcium signalling, PII and TOR pathway sensing); stress tolerance traits (drought, salt, oxidative damage resistance); hormone and defence compound biosynthesis
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises evidence on amino acid functions in nitrogen transport, stress defence, and cell signalling, and explores applications in biostimulants, gene-edited crops, and nano-delivery systems for precision agriculture.
Topic tags
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