Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling and Stress Response

Most types of abiotic stress, such as drought, salinity, heat and cold stresses result in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS can disrupt cell physiology and damage cell membranes. Over the course of evolution, however, plants have developed “scavenging” strategies to overcome ROS accumulation and even use these toxic molecules as mediators in signal transduction. ROS have been shown to play important roles in processes such as programmed cell death, hormone signaling, and cell response to abiotic stresses.

Using mutants that are deficient in ROS scavenging enzyme APX1, scientists from the University of Nevada, Virginia Tech University and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have defined a pathway that is activated in cells in response to ROS accumulation. Interestingly, many of the key players in this pathway also play central roles in responses to osmotic, salinity and temperature stress. These include the zinc finger proteins (induced by cold and osmotic stress) and the WRKY family of transcription factors (vital in oxidative stress and wounding response).

The paper published by the journal Physiologia Plantarum is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1399-3054.2008.01090.x