Reactive oxygen species as signals that modulate plant stress responses and programmed cell death

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known as toxic metabolic products in plants and other aerobic organisms. An elaborate and highly redundant plant ROS network, composed of antioxidant enzymes, antioxidants and ROS-producing enzymes, is responsible for maintaining ROS levels under tight control. This allows ROS to serve as signaling molecules that coordinate an astonishing range of diverse plant processes. The specificity of the biological response to ROS depends on the chemical identity of ROS, intensity of the signal, sites of production, plant developmental stage, previous stresses encountered and interactions with other signaling molecules such as nitric oxide, lipid messengers and plant hormones. Although many components of the ROS signaling network have recently been identified, the challenge remains to understand how ROS-derived signals are integrated to eventually regulate such biological processes as plant growth, development, stress adaptation and programmed cell death.

Comparison of ROS formation and antioxidant enzymes in Cleome gynandra (C4) and Cleome spinosa (C3) under drought stress

“…But, at 10 d of stress treatment, the induced level of NOX activity of C. gynandra was higher than that of C. spinosa. This increasing pattern may cause the acclimation to stress before it gets more severe [66].…”

Up-regulation of antioxidant and glyoxalase systems by exogenous glycinebetaine and proline in mung bean confer tolerance to cadmium stress

“…In addition, Cd stress is known to disturb redox homeostasis in plant cells and induce a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Hsu and Kao 2007a, b;Popova et al 2009;Nouairi et al 2009;Islam et al 2010). ROS are necessary for inter-and intracellular signalling but at high concentrations they seriously disrupt normal metabolism leading to irreparable metabolic dysfunction and death (Gechev et al 2006). Plants have evolved enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants to cope with ROS.…”

Identification of a Consensus DNA-Binding Site for the Arabidopsis thaliana SBP Domain Transcription Factor, AtSPL14, and Binding Kinetics by Surface Plasmon Resonance

“…1 In plants, PCD is required for tracheary element differentiation to form the water-conducting xylem tissue and accurate formation of various reproductive organs (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). PCD is also an important aspect of plant defense against pathogen attack (6)(7)(8). Despite the essential nature of PCD, large gaps remain in our knowledge of the mechanistic details and molecular components controlling plant PCD.…”