Arsenic perception and signaling: The yet unexplored world

Abstract

Arsenic is one of the most potent carcinogens in the biosphere, jeopardizing the health of millions of people due to its entrance into the human food chain through arsenic-contaminated waters and staple crops, particularly rice. Although the mechanisms of arsenic sensing are widely known in yeast and bacteria, scientific evidence concerning arsenic sensors or components of early arsenic signaling in plants is still in its infancy. However, in recent years, we have gained understanding of the mechanisms involved in arsenic uptake and detoxification in different plant species and started to get insights into arsenic perception and signaling, which allows us to glimpse the possibility to design effective strategies to prevent arsenic accumulation in edible crops or to increase plant arsenic extraction for phytoremediation purposes. In this context, it has been recently described a mechanism according to which arsenite, the reduced form of arsenic, regulates the arsenate/phosphate transporter, consistent with the idea that arsenite functions as a selective signal that coordinates arsenate uptake with detoxification mechanisms. Additionally, several transcriptional and post-translational regulators, miRNAs and phytohormones involved in arsenic signaling and tolerance have been identified. On the other hand, studies concerning the developmental programs triggered to adapt root architecture in order to cope with arsenic toxicity are just starting to be disclosed. In this review, we compile and analyze the latest advances toward understanding how plants perceive arsenic and coordinate its acquisition with detoxification mechanisms and root developmental programs.

From genes to ecosystems: Decoding plant tolerance mechanisms to arsenic stress

“…It is related to the protein breakdown pathway in plants that is regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which can be activated in response to various environmental challenges [ 99 , 100 ]. Hence, the process of ubiquitination, which involves the covalent binding of ubiquitin molecules to specific proteins within plant cells, is well recognized as a crucial mechanism for responding to As-induced stress in plants [ 99 , 101 , 102 ]. Furthermore, F-box proteins mediating protein ubiquitination in the SCF complex are essential for abiotic stress responses [ 100 ] and have also been reported to control Pi homeostasis [ 11 ].…”

Heavy metal stress and mitogen activated kinase transcription factors in plants: Exploring heavy metal‐ROS influences on plant signalling pathways

“…As (III), suggesting their implication in As signalling (Navarro et al, 2022), and it has been documented that As leads to the production of ROS and NO in As-treated O. sativa seedling roots (Rao et al, 2011); however, whether this MAPKs response was instigated by As-ROS production remains to be validated. Rao et al treatment.…”

Variation in Root System Architecture Response to Arsenic during Establishment and Onset of Storage Root Formation in Two Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Cultivars

“…Recent evidence from model plants and wellstudied crop species revealed that As reshapes the spatial configuration of roots in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) (Kumar et al 2020;Piacentini et al 2020), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) (Pita- Barbosa et al 2015), peanut (Arachis hypogea) (Bianucci et al 2017), and rice (Oryza sativa) (Ronzan et al 2019;Wang et al 2018), among others. The presence of As exerts a profound effect on root architecture that is tightly coordinated with the detoxification machinery (Navarro et al 2022). In sweetpotato, the successful emergence and development of lateral roots, the main determinant of root system architecture (RSA), determine the competency of adventitious roots (ARs) to undergo storage root formation (Villordon et al 2012).…”