Role of fructose in the adaptation of plants to cold-induced oxidative stress

Abstract

This work presents findings, which indicate important role of fructose, fructose 6-phosphate (F6P), and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) in preservation of homeostasis in plants under low temperature. Cold combined with light is known to incite increased generation of superoxide in chloroplasts leading to photoinhibition, but also an increased level of soluble sugars. In the present study, oxidative stress in pea leaves provoked by cold/light regime was asserted by the observed decrease of the level of oxidized form of PSI pigment P700 (P700+). Alongside, the increased antioxidative status and the accumulation of fructose were observed. The antioxidative properties of fructose and its phosphorylated forms were evaluated to appraise their potential protective role in plants exposed to chilling stress. Fructose, and particularly F6P and FBP exhibited high capacities for scavenging superoxide and showed to be involved in antioxidative protection in pea leaves. These results combined with previously established links implicate that the increase in level of fructose sugars through various pathways intercalated into physiological mechanisms of homeostasis represents important non-enzymatic antioxidative defense in plants under cold-related stress.

A Sister Group Contrast Using Untargeted Global Metabolomic Analysis Delineates the Biochemical Regulation Underlying Desiccation Tolerance in Sporobolus stapfianus

“…Accumulation of Fru has also been associated with the protection of membranes from oxidative stress in response to chilling temperatures, a dehydrating stress (Bogdanović et al, 2008). As shown in this study, S. pyramidalis clearly responds to dehydration metabolically in a manner common to dehydration-sensitive species, slowing and limiting water loss through osmoregulation and perhaps limiting oxidative damage.…”

Relevance of the capacity of phosphorylated fructose to scavenge the hydroxyl radical

“…6 Furthermore, an increased intracellular concentration of fructose represents an important non-enzymatic defense mechanism in cold-provoked stress in plants. 7 Some of the known mechanisms of the protective effects of fructose are (i) increased energy production through formation of glycolytic ATP; (ii) sequestration of intracellular redox-active iron thus preventing the Fenton reaction; (iii) stabilization of the glutathione pool; and (iv) up-regulation of the pentose phosphate pathway producing NADPH.…”

SWEET17, a Facilitative Transporter, Mediates Fructose Transport across the Tonoplast of Arabidopsis Roots and Leaves

“…Vacuolar Fru is important for the regulation of turgor pressure (Pontis, 1989), antioxidative defense (Bogdanovi c et al, 2008), and signal transduction during early seedling development Li et al, 2011). Thus, control of Fru transport across the tonoplast is thought to be important for plant growth and development.…”