Molecular functions of nitric oxide and its potential applications in horticultural crops

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates plant growth, enhances nutrient uptake, and activates disease and stress tolerance mechanisms in most plants, making NO a potential tool for use in improving the yield and quality of horticultural crop species. Although the use of NO in horticulture is still in its infancy, research on NO in model plant species has provided an abundance of valuable information on horticultural crop species. Emerging evidence implies that the bioactivity of NO can occur through many potential mechanisms but occurs mainly through S-nitrosation, the covalent and reversible attachment of NO to cysteine thiol. In this context, NO signaling specifically affects crop development, immunity, and environmental interactions. Moreover, NO can act as a fumigant against a wide range of postharvest diseases and pests. However, for effective use of NO in horticulture, both understanding and exploring the biological significance and potential mechanisms of NO in horticultural crop species are critical. This review provides a picture of our current understanding of how NO is synthesized and transduced in plants, and particular attention is given to the significance of NO in breaking seed dormancy, balancing root growth and development, enhancing nutrient acquisition, mediating stress responses, and guaranteeing food safety for horticultural production.

Quantitative Proteome Profiling of a S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase (GSNOR) Null Mutant Reveals a New Class of Enzymes Involved in Nitric Oxide Homeostasis in Plants

“…Nitrosative stress caused by biotic and abiotic factors is a major challenge to plant survival ( Corpas et al, 2021 ; Sun et al, 2021 ). The levels of GSNO, a bioactive form of NO, are known to be regulated by GSNOR ( Lee et al, 2008 ; Guerra et al, 2016 ), and plants lacking the enzyme show multiple phenotypic alterations, indicating that tightly controlled RNS levels are crucial for proper plant growth and development.…”

Foliar Application of Sodium Nitroprusside Boosts Solanum lycopersicum L. Tolerance to Glyphosate by Preventing Redox Disorders and Stimulating Herbicide Detoxification Pathways

“…The overall positive effects of NO against GLY-mediated toxicity on the growth and antioxidant response of tomato plants were also evident in the flowering process. As reviewed by Sun et al [61], NO was already proved to benefit plant reproductive traits, inducing the expression of several flowering-related genes. Moreover, although the total number of produced tomatoes was still lower than that of the CTL, fruits' average fresh mass was improved and remained identical to unexposed plants.…”

“…Moreover, although the total number of produced tomatoes was still lower than that of the CTL, fruits' average fresh mass was improved and remained identical to unexposed plants. Indeed, NO application has been found to modulate fruit quality features, contributing for a better firmness and to delay fruit ripening, by inhibiting ethylene biosynthesis [61].…”

Integration of Metabolome and Transcriptome Studies Reveals Flavonoids, Abscisic Acid, and Nitric Oxide Comodulating the Freezing Tolerance in Liriope spicata

“…Nitric oxide is a small, gaseous signaling molecule that has been studied for decades in mammalian cells. Recent research findings have shown that NO regulates plant growth, enhances nutrient uptake, and activates stress tolerance mechanisms in most plants (Sun et al, 2021). NO is a negative regulator of the chlorophyll (Chl) catabolic pathway and positively maintains the stability of thylakoid membranes during leaf senescence (Liu and Guo, 2013).…”