The Roles of Environmental Factors in Regulation of Oxidative Stress in Plants

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921). This special issue belongs to the section "ROS, RNS and RSS".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2024) | Viewed by 15066

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Republic of Korea
Interests: abiotic stress; reactive oxygen species; plants growing; drought; precipitation; climate

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chloroplasts play pivotal roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses, which involve changes in the cellular reduction–oxidation state. Levels of the nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1) protein are markedly elevated in chloroplasts under salinity stress. Chloroplast-targeted NPR1 overexpression enhances stress tolerance and photosynthetic capacity. These functions are related to chloroplast NPR1 acting not only as a scavenger of stress-damaged proteins such as RuBisCo large subunit (RbcL), but also as a chaperone for chloroplast proteostasis. Additionally, NPR1 localized in the chloroplast and cytoplasm exhibits antioxidant and chaperone functions, whereas nuclear NPR1 does not. Conformational characteristics are considered to be different depending on the localization of NPR1. In immunoblotting and fluorescence image analyses, chloroplast-targeted NPR1 was detected in the nucleus, suggesting dual localization or translocation from the chloroplast to the nucleus. Nuclear NPR1 levels were increased following treatment with H2O2 and an ethylene precursor in transgenic plants with chloroplast-targeted NPR1. Specifically, nuclear NPR1 was significantly increased in dark-induced senescent leaves in those transgenic lines. Taken together, these findings indicate that chloroplast NPR1 translocates to the nucleus, realizing a retrograde signalling process that transmits chloroplast information to the nucleus to elicit an adaptive response to stress. ROS-sensitive NPR1 proteins that oxidize cysteine residues function as redox switches in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Papers regarding environmental factors in the regulation of oxidative stress in plants are welcome in this Special Issue.

Dr. Ky Young Park
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • chloroplast retrograde signalling
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1)
  • senescence
  • salt stress
  • antioxidant
  • circadian rhythm
  • cystine-based redox machinery
  • ethylene

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 5303 KiB  
Article
Comparative Physio-Biochemical and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Contrasting Responses to Magnesium Imbalances in Leaves of Mulberry (Morus alba L.) Plants
by Yisu Shi, Xin Jin, Michael Ackah, Frank Kwarteng Amoako, Jianbin Li, Victor Edem Tsigbey, Haonan Li, Zipei Cui, Longwei Sun, Chengfeng Zhao and Weiguo Zhao
Antioxidants 2024, 13(5), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13050516 - 25 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is a major factor limiting the growth and development of plants. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is an important fruit tree crop that requires Mg for optimal growth and yield, especially in acid soils. However, the molecular mechanism of Mg [...] Read more.
Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is a major factor limiting the growth and development of plants. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is an important fruit tree crop that requires Mg for optimal growth and yield, especially in acid soils. However, the molecular mechanism of Mg stress tolerance in mulberry plants remains unknown. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing technology and biochemical analysis to profile the transcriptome and physiological changes of mulberry leaves under different Mg treatments (deficiency: 0 mM, low: 1 mM, moderate low: 2 mM, sufficiency: 3 mM, toxicity: 6 mM, higher toxicity: 9 mM) as T1, T2, T3, CK, T4, T5 treatments, respectively, for 20 days. The results showed that Mg imbalance altered the antioxidant enzymatic activities, such as catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and non-enzymatic, including soluble protein, soluble sugar, malondialdehyde (MDA), and proline (PRO), contents of the plant. The Mg imbalances disrupted the ultrastructures of the vital components of chloroplast and mitochondria relative to the control. The transcriptome data reveal that 11,030 genes were differentially expressed (DEGs). Genes related to the photosynthetic processes (CAB40, CAB7, CAB6A, CAB-151, CAP10A) and chlorophyll degradation (PAO, CHLASE1, SGR) were altered. Antioxidant genes such as PER42, PER21, and PER47 were downregulated, but DFR was upregulated. The carbohydrate metabolism pathway was significantly altered, while those involved in energy metabolism processes were perturbed under high Mg treatment compared with control. We also identified several candidate genes associated with magnesium homeostasis via RT-qPCR validation analysis, which provided valuable information for further functional characterization studies such as promoter activity assay or gene overexpression experiments using transient expression systems. Full article
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15 pages, 2713 KiB  
Article
Higher Intensity of Salt Stress Accompanied by Heat Inhibits Stomatal Conductance and Induces ROS Accumulation in Tomato Plants
by Yankai Li, Fangling Jiang, Zhenxiang He, Yi Liu, Zheng Chen, Carl-Otto Ottosen, Ron Mittler, Zhen Wu and Rong Zhou
Antioxidants 2024, 13(4), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13040448 - 10 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1437
Abstract
Under natural conditions, abiotic stresses that limit plant growth and development tend to occur simultaneously, rather than individually. Due to global warming and climate change, the frequency and intensity of heat and salt stresses are becoming more frequent. Our aim is to determine [...] Read more.
Under natural conditions, abiotic stresses that limit plant growth and development tend to occur simultaneously, rather than individually. Due to global warming and climate change, the frequency and intensity of heat and salt stresses are becoming more frequent. Our aim is to determine the response mechanisms of tomato to different intensities of combined heat and salt stresses. The physiological and morphological responses and photosynthesis/reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes of tomato plants were compared under a control, heat stress, salt stress (50/100/200/400 mM NaCl), and a combination of salt and heat stresses. The stomatal conductance (gs) of tomato leaves significantly increased at a heat + 50 mM NaCl treatment on day 4, but significantly decreased at heat + 100/200/400 mM NaCl treatments, compared with the control on days 4 and 8. The O2·− production rate of tomato plants was significantly higher at heat + 100/200/400 mM NaCl than the control, which showed no significant difference between heat + 50 mM NaCl treatment and the control on days 4 and 8. Ascorbate peroxidase 2 was significantly upregulated by heat + 100/200/400 mM NaCl treatment as compared with heat + 50 mM NaCl treatment on days 4 and 8. This study demonstrated that the dominant effect ratio of combined heat and salt stress on tomato plants can shift from heat to salt, when the intensity of salt stress increased from 50 mM to 100 mM or above. This study provides important information for tomato tolerance improvement at combined heat and salt stresses. Full article
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23 pages, 3263 KiB  
Article
NPR1 Translocation from Chloroplast to Nucleus Activates Plant Tolerance to Salt Stress
by Soyeon Seo, Yumi Kim and Kyyoung Park
Antioxidants 2023, 12(5), 1118; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12051118 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3774
Abstract
Chloroplasts play crucial roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses, regulated by nuclear gene expression through changes in the cellular redox state. Despite lacking the N-terminal chloroplast transit peptide (cTP), nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1), a redox-sensitive transcriptional coactivator was consistently found [...] Read more.
Chloroplasts play crucial roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses, regulated by nuclear gene expression through changes in the cellular redox state. Despite lacking the N-terminal chloroplast transit peptide (cTP), nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1), a redox-sensitive transcriptional coactivator was consistently found in the tobacco chloroplasts. Under salt stress and after exogenous application of H2O2 or aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, an ethylene precursor, transgenic tobacco plants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged NPR1 (NPR1-GFP) showed significant accumulation of monomeric nuclear NPR1, irrespective of the presence of cTP. Immunoblotting and fluorescence image analyses indicated that NPR1-GFP, with and without cTP, had similar molecular weights, suggesting that the chloroplast-targeted NPR1-GFP is likely translocated from the chloroplasts to the nucleus after processing in the stroma. Translation in the chloroplast is essential for nuclear NPR1 accumulation and stress-related expression of nuclear genes. An overexpression of chloroplast-targeted NPR1 enhanced stress tolerance and photosynthetic capacity. In addition, compared to the wild-type lines, several genes encoding retrograde signaling-related proteins were severely impaired in the Arabidopsis npr1-1 mutant, but were enhanced in NPR1 overexpression (NPR1-Ox) transgenic tobacco line. Taken together, chloroplast NPR1 acts as a retrograding signal that enhances the adaptability of plants to adverse environments. Full article
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15 pages, 3777 KiB  
Article
Strigolactone Alleviates the Adverse Effects of Salt Stress on Seed Germination in Cucumber by Enhancing Antioxidant Capacity
by Changxia Li, Xuefang Lu, Yunzhi Liu, Junrong Xu and Wenjin Yu
Antioxidants 2023, 12(5), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12051043 - 4 May 2023
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2314
Abstract
Strigolactones (SLs), as a new phytohormone, regulate various physiological and biochemical processes, and a number of stress responses, in plants. In this study, cucumber ‘Xinchun NO. 4’ is used to study the roles of SLs in seed germination under salt stress. The results [...] Read more.
Strigolactones (SLs), as a new phytohormone, regulate various physiological and biochemical processes, and a number of stress responses, in plants. In this study, cucumber ‘Xinchun NO. 4’ is used to study the roles of SLs in seed germination under salt stress. The results show that the seed germination significantly decreases with the increase in the NaCl concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50, and 100 mM), and 50 mM NaCl as a moderate stress is used for further analysis. The different concentrations of SLs synthetic analogs GR24 (1, 5, 10, and 20 μM) significantly promote cucumber seed germination under NaCl stress, with a maximal biological response at 10 μM. An inhibitor of strigolactone (SL) synthesis TIS108 suppresses the positive roles of GR24 in cucumber seed germination under salt stress, suggesting that SL can alleviate the inhibition of seed germination caused by salt stress. To explore the regulatory mechanism of SL-alleviated salt stress, some contents, activities, and genes related to the antioxidant system are measured. The malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, O2, and proline contents are increased, and the levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) are decreased under salt stress conditions, while GR24 treatment reduces MDA, H2O2, O2, and proline contents, and increases AsA and GSH contents during seed germination under salt stress. Meanwhile, GR24 treatment enhances the decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes caused by salt stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)], following which antioxidant-related genes SOD, POD, CAT, APX, and GRX2 are up-regulated by GR24 under salt stress. However, TIS108 reversed the positive effects of GR24 on cucumber seed germination under salt stress. Together, the results of this study revealed that GR24 regulates the expression levels of genes related to antioxidants and, therefore, regulates enzymatic activity and non-enzymatic substances and enhances antioxidant capacity, alleviating salt toxicity during seed germination in cucumber. Full article
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Review

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28 pages, 1898 KiB  
Review
An Overview of the Mechanisms through Which Plants Regulate ROS Homeostasis under Cadmium Stress
by Pan Luo, Jingjing Wu, Ting-Ting Li, Peihua Shi, Qi Ma and Dong-Wei Di
Antioxidants 2024, 13(10), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13101174 - 26 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1058
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd2+) is a non-essential and highly toxic element to all organic life forms, including plants and humans. In response to Cd stress, plants have evolved multiple protective mechanisms, such as Cd2+ chelation, vesicle sequestration, the regulation of Cd2+ [...] Read more.
Cadmium (Cd2+) is a non-essential and highly toxic element to all organic life forms, including plants and humans. In response to Cd stress, plants have evolved multiple protective mechanisms, such as Cd2+ chelation, vesicle sequestration, the regulation of Cd2+ uptake, and enhanced antioxidant defenses. When Cd2+ accumulates in plants to a certain level, it triggers a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to chlorosis, growth retardation, and potentially death. To counteract this, plants utilize a complex network of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems to manage ROS and protect cells from oxidative damage. This review systematically summarizes how various elements, including nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, and zinc, as well as phytohormones such as abscisic acid, auxin, brassinosteroids, and ethylene, and signaling molecules like nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrogen sulfide, regulate the antioxidant system under Cd stress. Furthermore, it explores the mechanisms by which exogenous regulators can enhance the antioxidant capacity and mitigate Cd toxicity. Full article
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21 pages, 830 KiB  
Review
Application of Multi-Omics Technologies to the Study of Phytochromes in Plants
by Shumei Wu, Yue Gao, Qi Zhang, Fen Liu and Weiming Hu
Antioxidants 2024, 13(1), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13010099 - 14 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2138
Abstract
Phytochromes (phy) are distributed in various plant organs, and their physiological effects influence plant germination, flowering, fruiting, and senescence, as well as regulate morphogenesis throughout the plant life cycle. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a key regulatory factor in plant systemic responses to [...] Read more.
Phytochromes (phy) are distributed in various plant organs, and their physiological effects influence plant germination, flowering, fruiting, and senescence, as well as regulate morphogenesis throughout the plant life cycle. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a key regulatory factor in plant systemic responses to environmental stimuli, with an attractive regulatory relationship with phytochromes. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, omics techniques have become powerful tools, and researchers have used omics techniques to facilitate the big data revolution. For an in-depth analysis of phytochrome-mediated signaling pathways, integrated multi-omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) approaches may provide the answer from a global perspective. This article comprehensively elaborates on applying multi-omics techniques in studying phytochromes. We describe the current research status and future directions on transcriptome-, proteome-, and metabolome-related network components mediated by phytochromes when cells are subjected to various stimulation. We emphasize the importance of multi-omics technologies in exploring the effects of phytochromes on cells and their molecular mechanisms. Additionally, we provide methods and ideas for future crop improvement. Full article
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18 pages, 1630 KiB  
Review
The ncRNAs Involved in the Regulation of Abiotic Stress-Induced Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Plants
by Bo Zhou, Baojiang Zheng and Weilin Wu
Antioxidants 2024, 13(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13010055 - 28 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1942
Abstract
Plants have evolved complicated defense and adaptive systems to grow in various abiotic stress environments such as drought, cold, and salinity. Anthocyanins belong to the secondary metabolites of flavonoids with strong antioxidant activity in response to various abiotic stress and enhance stress tolerance. [...] Read more.
Plants have evolved complicated defense and adaptive systems to grow in various abiotic stress environments such as drought, cold, and salinity. Anthocyanins belong to the secondary metabolites of flavonoids with strong antioxidant activity in response to various abiotic stress and enhance stress tolerance. Anthocyanin accumulation often accompanies the resistance to abiotic stress in plants to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). Recent research evidence showed that many regulatory pathways such as osmoregulation, antioxidant response, plant hormone response, photosynthesis, and respiration regulation are involved in plant adaption to stress. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in controlling anthocyanin biosynthesis in relation to abiotic stress response have remained obscure. Here, we summarize the current research progress of specific regulators including small RNAs, and lncRNAs involved in the molecular regulation of abiotic stress-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. In addition, an integrated regulatory network of anthocyanin biosynthesis controlled by microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), transcription factors, and stress response factors is also discussed. Understanding molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis for ROS scavenging in various abiotic stress responses will benefit us for resistance breeding in crop plants. Full article
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