Calcium plays pivotal role in regulating the physiological as well as developmental processes
in plants. Till now several calcium sensors have been discovered which regulate the diverse
signaling pathways involved in plant growth and development. One of the major calcium sensors
CBL (calcineurin B-like) is decoding the calcium signal during various environmental stresses
in plants. Calcium mediated signal is transduced downstream by CBL-interacting protein kinases
(CIPKs) which generally phosphorylate the target proteins such as transcription factors or
transporters channel leading to a response. Mutant based approach has provided valuable
information in the functional analysis of individual members of CBL and CIPK gene family in
Arabidopsis. Both CBL and CIPK gene families have previously been identified and characterized
in Arabidopsis and rice. Identification and characterization of CBLs and CIPKs in other plant
species such as Oryza sativa Pisum sativum Cicer arietinum Zea mays Populus euphratica
Vitis vinifera Malus domestica Gossypium hirsutum Sorghum bicolor Brassica napus Vicia
faba Phaseolus vulgaris Ammopiptanthus mongolicus and Triticum aestivum are still in juvenile
stage. Overall Global Comparative Analysis of CBL-CIPK Gene Families in Plants is a
comprehensive study focused on the diverse role of CBL-CIPK module in different stress
signaling and also to identify a newly emerging role of this calcium-signaling module in plant
growth and development across different plant species. In addition beside Arabidopsis it will
provide backbone of knowledge to perform a detail molecular investigation in crop plant species
and could possibly enable in designing strategies to tame abiotic stress tolerance and
development in important agronomical crop plants. This book will act as handy and informative
source in this field for students as well as advanced researchers.
