Redox Components: Key Regulators of Epigenetic Modifications in Plants

Abstract

Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodeling are crucial regulators of chromatin architecture and gene expression in plants. Their dynamics are significantly influenced by oxidants, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), and antioxidants, like pyridine nucleotides and glutathione in plants. These redox intermediates regulate the activities and expression of many enzymes involved in DNA methylation, histone methylation and acetylation, and chromatin remodeling, consequently controlling plant growth and development, and responses to diverse environmental stresses. In recent years, much progress has been made in understanding the functional mechanisms of epigenetic modifications and the roles of redox mediators in controlling gene expression in plants. However, the integrated view of the mechanisms for redox regulation of the epigenetic marks is limited. In this review, we summarize recent advances on the roles and mechanisms of redox components in regulating multiple epigenetic modifications, with a focus of the functions of ROS, NO, and multiple antioxidants in plants.

ROS as Regulators of Cellular Processes in Melanoma

“…ROS may interfere with gene expression by affecting also the histone acetylation/deacetylation level by their activity on acetyltransferase (HAT) or histone deacetylase (HDAC). Gene expression alterations caused by ROS-induced histone modification depend either on the amino acid residues involved or the level of histone acetylation [ 189 ]. It is generally believed that histone deacetylase (HDACi) inhibitors may trigger cancer cell death through ROS generation [ 190 , 191 ].…”

An Epigenetic Alphabet of Crop Adaptation to Climate Change

“…For example, the COMPASS H3K4 methyltransferase complex is recruited by bZIP transcription factors and brings about methylation of H3K4 ( Song et al, 2015 ). Furthermore, among the numerous messengers, such as calcium, redox signaling, membrane integrity, G-proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), plant stress hormones (salicylic, jasmonic and abscisic acid, ethylene) that modulate the response of plants to stresses, the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and the Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) have received increasing attention over the last decade as they are key players of the integrated responses of plants to these stresses, in addition to their fundamental functions in plant development ( Sewelam et al, 2016 ; Huang et al, 2019a ; Kumar et al, 2020 ). Indeed, the plant responses to different abiotic stresses, such as heat, chilling, excessive light, drought, ozone exposure, UV-B irradiation, osmotic shock, heavy metals, and organic pollutants involves a rapid oxidative burst that leads to the generation and/or accumulation of oxidants such as ROS and RNS.…”

Interplay Among Hydrogen Sulfide, Nitric Oxide, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Mitochondrial DNA Oxidative Damage

“…As a donor of the methyl in trans-methylation reactions, S-adenosyll-methionine (SAM) was associated with the production of H 2 S (Eto and Kimura, 2002). NO can regulate enzymes such as S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase/homologous gene silencing 1, methionine synthase, and S-adenosyl methionine synthase/methionine adenosyltransferases in SAM synthesis via S-nitrosation and tyrosine nitration (Lindermayr et al, 2005;Kumar et al, 2020), indicating the crosstalk between H 2 S and NO in regulating DNA methylation/demethylation.…”