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Review
. 2023 Mar 1;24(5):4782.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24054782.

Nitric Oxide Acts as a Key Signaling Molecule in Plant Development under Stressful Conditions

Murtaza Khan  1 , Sajid Ali  1 , Tiba Nazar Ibrahim Al Azzawi  2 , Byung-Wook Yun  2
Affiliations
Review

Nitric Oxide Acts as a Key Signaling Molecule in Plant Development under Stressful Conditions

Murtaza Khan et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO), a colorless gaseous molecule, is a lipophilic free radical that easily diffuses through the plasma membrane. These characteristics make NO an ideal autocrine (i.e., within a single cell) and paracrine (i.e., between adjacent cells) signalling molecule. As a chemical messenger, NO plays a crucial role in plant growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Furthermore, NO interacts with reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, melatonin, and hydrogen sulfide. It regulates gene expression, modulates phytohormones, and contributes to plant growth and defense mechanisms. In plants, NO is mainly produced via redox pathways. However, nitric oxide synthase, a key enzyme in NO production, has been poorly understood recently in both model and crop plants. In this review, we discuss the pivotal role of NO in signalling and chemical interactions as well as its involvement in the mitigation of biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In the current review, we have discussed various aspects of NO including its biosynthesis, interaction with reactive oxygen species (ROS), melatonin (MEL), hydrogen sulfide, enzymes, phytohormones, and its role in normal and stressful conditions.

Keywords: antioxidants; crop plants; nitric oxide; phytohormones; signaling; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Production of NO through different pathways. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), not discovered in higher plants (NOS?), Nitrogen oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite ion (NO3−), nitrate ion (NO2−), horseradish peroxidase (HPOX), xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), xanthine dehydrogenase (XDG), cytochrome (cyt P450), polyamine oxidase (PAO), polyamine oxidoreductase (POR), copperamine oxidase (CuAO), xanthine oxidase (ZO), aldehyde oxidase (AO), and sulfite oxidase (SO).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Role of NO in plant growth and development and defense responses against biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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