Sulfur Metabolism and Stress Defense Responses in Plants

Abstract

Sulfur management is an important issue in crop plant nutrition. Sulfur has a role in fundamental processes such as electron transport, structure and regulation. It is also associated with photosynthetic oxygen production, abiotic and biotic stress resistance and secondary metabolism. Sulfate uptake, reductive assimilation and integration into cysteine and methionine are the central processes that direct oxidized and reduced forms of organically bound S into their various functions. Sulfur-containing defense compounds that are crucial for plant survival during biotic and abiotic stress include elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, glutathione, phytochelatins, S-rich proteins and various secondary metabolites. Formation of these compounds in plants is closely related to the supply, demand, uptake and assimilation of S. This review will highlight the role of S during the stress response in plants and the relationship between S metabolism and primary S nutrition.

Transcriptomic insights into the allelopathic effects of the garlic allelochemical diallyl disulfide on tomato roots

“…Sulfur is an essential macronutrient for plants and is also an important substrate in biotic and abiotic stress reactions21. After uptake, SO 4 2− is reduced to APS by ATP sulfurylase, catalyzed to sulfite through APS reductase, and subsequently reduced to sulfide by sulfite reductase.…”

“…After uptake, SO 4 2− is reduced to APS by ATP sulfurylase, catalyzed to sulfite through APS reductase, and subsequently reduced to sulfide by sulfite reductase. The key enzyme of plant sulfur metabolism, Cys synthase, usually called O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase (OAS-TL), catalyzes the synthesis of Cys from sulfide ion (S 2− ) and O-acetylserine (OAS) in the last step of the photosynthetic assimilation of sulfate in plants21. Cys is the precursor of many important sulfur-containing compounds, which participate in plant defense systems21.…”

“…The key enzyme of plant sulfur metabolism, Cys synthase, usually called O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase (OAS-TL), catalyzes the synthesis of Cys from sulfide ion (S 2− ) and O-acetylserine (OAS) in the last step of the photosynthetic assimilation of sulfate in plants21. Cys is the precursor of many important sulfur-containing compounds, which participate in plant defense systems21. In the present study, genes encoding SO 4 2− transporters were not affected by DADS.…”

Copper (Cu) stress affects carbon and antioxidant metabolism in Coffea arabica seedlings

“…Similar results were observed in Phaseolus vulgaris (Bouazizi et al, 2010), Morusalba (Tewari et al, 2006), Beta vulgaris (Henriques, 1989) and Nicotiana tabacum (Raeymaeker et al, 2003). H 2 O 2 acts as a signal in response to plant stress and in supra-optimal concentrations becomes toxic to membranes, affecting its permeability, which can lead to cell death (Soares et al, 2016;Capaldi et al, 2015).…”

“…The first line of defense is performed by the enzyme superoxide dismutase (Capaldi et al, 2015). Moreover, several others enzymes contribute to the control of damage caused by ROS, including those present in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX) (Jiménes et al, 1998).…”