H2S signaling in plants and applications in agriculture

Abstract

The signaling properties of the gasotransmitter molecule hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), which is endogenously generated in plant cells, are mainly observed during persulfidation, a protein post-translational modification (PTM) that affects redox-sensitive cysteine residues. There is growing experimental evidence that H₂S in higher plants may function as a mechanism of response to environmental stress conditions. In addition, exogenous applications of H₂S to plants appear to provide additional protection against stresses, such as salinity, drought, extreme temperatures and heavy metals, mainly through the induction of antioxidant systems, in order to palliate oxidative cellular damage. H₂S also appears to be involved in regulating physiological functions, such as seed germination, stomatal movement and fruit ripening, as well as molecules that maintain post-harvest quality and rhizobium-legume symbiosis. These properties of H₂S open up new challenges in plant research to better understand its functions as well as new opportunities for biotechnological treatments in agriculture in a changing environment.

Keywords: Abiotic stress; Fruit ripening; Hydrogen sulfide; Nitro-oxidative stress.

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

Summary of the main physiological or adverse environmental situations in higher plants where the endogenous or exogenous H₂S seems to participate which could also have biotechnological applications.

Fig. 2

Protein thiol (-SH) modifications mediated by either the incorporation of H₂S (persulfidation), NO (S-nitrosation), glutathione (GSH) (S-glutathionylation), cyanide (S-cyanylation) or fatty acid (S-acylation).