Metabolic regulation of quiescence in plants.

Quiescence is a crucial survival attribute in which cell division is repressed in a reversible manner. While quiescence has long been viewed as an inactive state, recent studies have shown that it is an actively regulated process that is controlled by environmental stimuli. Here we provide a perspective of the quiescent state and discuss how this process is controlled by energy, nutrient and oxygen status, and the pathways that sense and transmit these signals. We not only highlight the regulation of canonical regulators and signalling mechanisms that respond to changes in nutrient and energy status, but also consider the central significance of mitochondrial functions and cues as key regulators of nuclear gene expression. Furthermore, we discuss how reactive oxygen species and associated redox regulation that are intrinsically linked to energy carbohydrate metabolism, also play a key role in the regulation of quiescence.