Research on heme oxygenase in plants has received consideration in recent years due to its several roles in development, defense, and metabolism during various environmental stresses. In the current investigation, the role of heme oxygenase (HO) 1 was evaluated in reducing heavy metal (Cd and Ni) uptake and alleviating Cd and Ni toxicity effects in the hydroponically grown seedlings of Vigna radiata var. PDM 54. Seedlings were subjected to Cd- and Ni-induced oxidative stress independently at different concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 μM. After 96 h (fourth day) of treatment, the stressed plants were harvested to study the cellular homeostasis and detoxification mechanism by examining the growth, stress parameters (LPX, HO content), and non-enzymatic and enzymatic parameters (ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaicol peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT)) including HO 1. At 50 μM CdCl and 60 μM NiSO, HO 1 activity was found to be highest in leaves which were 1.39 and 1.16-fold, respectively. The greatest HO 1 activity was reflected from the reduction of HO content at these metal concentrations (50 μM CdCl and 60 μM NiSO) which is correlated with the increasing activity of other antioxidant enzymes (CAT, APX). Thus, HO 1 works within a group that generates the defense machinery for the plant's survival by scavenging ROS which is confirmed by a time-dependent study. Hence, it is concluded that seedlings of V. radiata were more tolerant towards metal-induced oxidative stress in which HO 1 is localized in its residential area (plastids).

Haem oxygenase (HO) is a universal enzyme that catalyses stereospecific cleavage of haem to BV IX α and liberates Fe ion and CO as by-product. Beside haem degradation, it has important functions in plants that include cellular defence, stomatal regulation, iron mobilization, phytochrome chromophore synthesis, and lateral root formation. Phytochromes are an extended family of photoreceptors with a molecular mass of 250 kDa and occur as a dimer made up of 2 equivalent subunits of 125 kDa each. Each subunit is made of two components: the chromophore, a light-capturing pigment molecule and the apoprotein. Biosynthesis of phytochrome (phy) chromophore includes the oxidative splitting of haem to biliverdin IX by an enzyme HO, which is the decisive step in the biosynthesis. In photosynthetic organisms, BVα is reduced to 3Z PΦB by a ferredoxin-dependent PΦB synthase that finally isomerised to PΦB. The synthesized PΦB assembles with the phytochrome apoprotein in the cytoplasm to generate holophytochrome. Thus, necessary for photomorphogenesis in plants, which has confirmed from the genetic studies, conducted on Arabidopsis thaliana and pea. Besides the phytochrome chromophore synthesis, the review also emphasises on the current advances conducted in plant HO implying its developmental and defensive role.

Despite the documented significance of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) in plant development, the knowledge of the impact of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) dosage on physiological responses of crop plants is still scarce. Hence, the present study investigates the concentration-dependent impact of CNPs on the morphology and physiology of Vigna radiata. Crop seedlings were subjected to CNPs at varying concentrations (25 to 200 µM) in hydroponic medium for 96 h to evaluate various physiological parameters. CNPs at an intermediate concentration (100 to 150 µM) favor the growth of crops by increasing the total chlorophyll content (1.9-fold), protein content (1.14-fold) and plant biomass (fresh weight: 1.2-fold, dry weight: 1.14-fold). The highest activity of antioxidants (SOD, GOPX, APX and proline) was also recorded at these concentrations, which indicates a decline in ROS level at 100 µM. At the highest CNPs treatment (200 µM), aggregation of CNPs was observed more on the root surface and accumulated in higher concentrations in the plant tissues, which limits the absorption and translocation of nutrients to plants, and hence, at these concentrations, the oxidative damage imposed by CNPs is evaded with the rise in activity of antioxidants. These findings show the importance of CNPs as nano-fertilizers that not only improve plant growth by their slow and controlled release of nutrients, but also enhance the stress-tolerant and phytoremediation efficiency of plants in the polluted environment due to their enormous absorption potential.

The present study evaluated the effects of exogenous hemin on cadmium toxicity in terms of metal accretion and stress resilience in Vigna radiata L. (Wilczek). One-week-old seedlings were treated with CdCl2 (50 μM) alone and in combination with hemin (0.5 mM) in half-strength Hoagland medium for 96 h. The optimum concentrations of Cd and hemin were determined on the basis of haem oxygenase-1 activity. The results demonstrated that under Cd stress, plants accumulated a considerable amount of metal in their tissues, and the accumulation was higher in roots than in leaves, which significantly reduced the plant biomass and chlorophyll content by increasing the oxidative stress (MDA and H2O2 content). However, hemin supplementation under Cd,-stress improved plant growth by enhancing the harvestable biomass and photosynthetic pigments, increasing antioxidant activities (SOD, APX, POD, HO-1 and proline), lowering oxidative damage and increasing Cd tolerance in plants. Furthermore, the application of hemin enhances the removal efficiency of Cd in V. radiata by increasing the uptake of Cd via roots and its translocation from roots to foliar tissues. Thus, the study suggests that hemin has the potential to improve the stress tolerance and phytoremediation ability of heavy metal-tolerant plants so that they can be used instead of hyperaccumulators for remediation of Cd-contaminated environments.

Study have focused on NaCl induced HO 1 production and its co-relation to ROS and antioxidant regulation in Eruca sativa. Seedlings were subjected to NaCl stress ranges from 10 to 150 mM. After 96 h of treatment, plants samples were harvested to evaluate the cellular equilibrium and salt tolerance mechanisms through morphological, stress parameters, non enzymatic and antioxidant enzymes. The HO 1 activity was found to be highest at 75 mM NaCl in leaves and roots which were 2.49 and 2.02 folds respectively. The expression of EsHO 1 was also observed and the higher expression was recorded in roots than leaves. The overall activity of other antioxidants (APX and proline) was also found to be higher at 75 mM concentration. The highest HO 1 activity with other antioxidants indicates the decline in LPX and ROS at 75 mM NaCl. The present study concluded that HO 1 helps in amelioration of NaCl stress by working within a group of antioxidants that create the defense machinery in seedlings of E. sativa by manipulating various physiological processes of plants. These findings for the first time suggest the protective role of HO 1 in scavenging ROS in E. sativa under salinity stress.

The manuscript highlights the role of antioxidants in alleviation of salinity stress in two principal legume crops Cyamopsis tetragonoloba and Vigna radiata of Indian Thar Desert. The study evaluates correlation between the antioxidants of two cultivars in terms of morphological and physiological alterations. Hydroponically acclimatized seedlings of both the crops were subjected to NaCl stress at different concentrations ranges from 10 to 100 mM. After 96 h, the treated legumes were harvested to analyze the cellular homeostasis and salt tolerance mechanism via examining growth, stress parameters, osmoprotectants and enzymatic antioxidants. Differential response in the antioxidants activity was observed in crops. Equal contribution of antioxidants in mitigation of salinity stress was recorded in C. tetragonoloba while V. radiata shows greater tolerance by accumulating greater amount of proline which is approximately 2.72 folds higher than C. tetragonoloba. Moreover, the NR and HO1 activities in V. radiata were recorded to be 2.76 and 1.55 folds respectively which is 1.2 times higher in comparison to C. tetragonoloba. The detrimental effect of NaCl in terms of MDA content was also higher in V. radiata which concluded that V. radiata is more reactive towards salinity stress than C. tetragonoloba. The study is significant as this is the first report illustrating the sensitivity and tolerance level of NaCl in legumes of Thar Desert.

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Bilins are open‐chain tetrapyrroles with a wide range of visible and nearly visible‐light absorption and emission properties. The linear tetrapyrrole molecules function as chromophores of the light‐harvesting phycobiliproteins and phytochrome‐mediated light sensing in photosynthetic organisms. They are derived from the cyclic precursor haem. The initial step in bilin biosynthesis is the conversion of haem into biliverdin (BV IX α) catalysed by haem oxygenase, which is subsequently reduced to specific bilins by ferredoxin‐dependent bilin reductases (FDBRs). Bilins usually bound to apoproteins via single or double covalent bonds to form a macromolecular complex phycobilisomes. The attachment of apoproteins to bilin is an autocatalytic process, but bilin lyases are required for the specific attachment of bilin chromophores to phycobiliprotein apoproteins. Besides the biosynthesis, structure and functions of bilins, this article also aims to recapitulate and discuss the current progress in the field of bilins and to emphasise the emerging areas. Key Concepts Bilins are open‐chain tetrapyrrole non‐metallic colour compounds formed as a metabolic product of protoporphyrin IX. Biliverdin IX α is the common precursor of all naturally occurring bilins. Haem oxygenase (HO) and ferredoxin‐dependent bilin reductases (FDBRs) are the two key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of bilins. Phycobiliproteins assemble with bilins to form phycobilisomes, which help in light harvesting and energy transfer. Bilin plays a significant role in various physiological processes, namely, photosynthesis, respiration, light perception, signalling, cell defence against oxidative stress, nitrate and sulfate assimilation and programmed cell death.