Hydrogen sulfide signaling in plant adaptations to adverse conditions: molecular mechanisms

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a signaling molecule that regulates critical processes and allows plants to adapt to adverse conditions. The molecular mechanism underlying the H2S action relies on its chemical reactivity, and the mainly characterized is the persulfidation, which involves the modification of protein thiol groups, resulting in the formation of persulfide groups. This modification derives a change of protein function, altering catalytic activity or intracellular location and inducing important physiological effects. H2S cannot react directly with thiols but instead can react with oxidized cysteine residues; therefore, H2O2 signaling through sulfenylation is required for persulfidation. A comparative study performed in this review reveals 82% of identity between the sulfenylome and persulfidome. With regard to abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, widespread evidence shows an interconnection between H2S and ABA in the plant response to environmental stress. Proteomic analyses have revealed persulfidation of several proteins involved in the ABA signaling network and have shown that persulfidation is triggered in response to ABA. In guard cells, a complex interaction of H2S and ABA signaling has also been described, and the persulfidation of specific signaling components seems to be the underlying mechanism.

Persulfidation of Nitrate Reductase 2 Is Involved in l-Cysteine Desulfhydrase-Regulated Rice Drought Tolerance

“…Numerous biochemical and genetic results have undoubtedly established that the signaling action of H 2 S in cells through persulfidation has important consequences for many physiological processes in plants [22,43,44]. Here, we found that the persulfidation widely exists in rice proteome under normal conditions and was differentially changed by drought stress (Figure 4).…”

The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide in Plant Roots during Development and in Response to Abiotic Stress

“…Finally, in recent years, studies have found that H 2 S could directly regulate the S-sulfhydration of proteins by converting Cys-SH to Cys-SSH. This affected the activity of proteins, and, thus, mediated plant growth and development and responses to stresses [99][100][101][102][103]. The ACTIN2 protein, associated with the development of root hair, has been found to be S-sulfhydrated at Cys-287 by H 2 S, thereby mediating H 2 S-regulated root hair growth [29].…”

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in the hidden half: Role in root growth, stress signalling and rhizospheric interactions

“…2020; Aroca et al . 2021). Persulfidation of the L‐DES enzyme regulating the endogenous biosynthesis of H 2 S is also known to be stimulated by ABA.…”