The secret of H₂S to keep plants young and fresh and its products

Abstract

Recently, accumulating evidence has shown that hydrogen sulphide (H2S), a newly determined gasotransmitter, plays important roles in senescence, which is an essential biological process for plant fitness and an important agricultural trait that is critical for the yield and quality of farm produce. Here, in this review, we summarize the roles of H2S in senescence, both before and after the harvesting of agricultural products, and the underlying mechanism is also discussed. During the plant growth process, the function of H2S in the leaf senescence process has been studied extensively, and H2S plays roles during the whole process, including the initiation, reorganization and terminal stages. While during the postharvest stage, H2S can prevents farm products from deterioration resulting from over‐ripening, pathogen attack and incorrect storage. The underlying H2S‐related mechanisms during different stages of the senescence process are summarized and compared. The most prominent interaction occurs between H2S and reactive oxygen species, and the molecular mechanism is explored. Additionally, the conserved action mode of H2S in different life processes and different species is also discussed. In the future, multi‐omics analyses over time will be needed to investigate the detailed mechanisms of H2S, and a safety attribute analysis of H2S is also required before it can be used in agricultural production.

Biological Functions of Hydrogen Sulfide in Plants

“…H 2 S regulates plant senescence through cascade crosstalk with other plant hormones and signaling molecules [ 5 , 140 ]. Exogenous H 2 S inhibits the yellowing process by down-regulating the transcription of chlorophyll-degrading genes ( BoSGR , BoCLH2 , BoPaO , and BoRCCR ) and maintaining high levels of chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid in leaves [ 113 ].…”

“…Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is a colorless, flammable, toxic, and corrosive gas that gives rotten eggs their distinctive odor; it is involved in numerous physiological processes in the plant, such as seed germination [ 1 ], stomatal movement [ 2 ], root morphogenesis [ 3 ], photosynthesis [ 4 ], senescence and yield [ 5 ], and fruit ripening and quality [ 6 ]. One of the major targets of H 2 S signaling in eukaryotic cells is the mitochondria.…”

Emerging role of hydrogen sulphide as a signalling molecule in plant biology

“…Understanding the synergistic roles of H 2 S and NO could lead to development of waterlogging-tolerant legume genotypes by modulating tolerance mechanisms and identifying regulatory genes (Tyagi et al 2022). H 2 S also plays a key role in the leaf senescence and can prevent deterioration of fruit and vegetables after harvest, preventing over-ripening and pathogen attack (Liu & Pei 2022). H 2 S can improve the quality of fruit by regulating the antioxidant system, ripening phytohormones (ethylene and abscisic acid) with other ripeningrelated signalling molecules, such as NO and hydrogen peroxide (Tayal et al 2022).…”

“…2022). H 2 S also plays a key role in the leaf senescence and can prevent deterioration of fruit and vegetables after harvest, preventing over‐ripening and pathogen attack (Liu & Pei 2022). H 2 S can improve the quality of fruit by regulating the antioxidant system, ripening phytohormones (ethylene and abscisic acid) with other ripening‐related signalling molecules, such as NO and hydrogen peroxide (Tayal et al .…”