Posttranslational modification

Germination

Agriculture

Enzyme

Chemistry

Ecology

Antioxidant

Biochemistry

Botany

Signal transduction

Biology

Cell biology

Journal of Advanced Research

The signaling properties of the gasotransmitter molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is endogenously generated in plant cells, are mainly observed during persulfidation, a protein post-translational modification (PTM) that affects redox-sensitive cysteine residues. There is growing experimental evidence that H2S in higher plants may function as a mechanism of response to environmental stress conditions. In addition, exogenous applications of H2S to plants appear to provide additional protection against stresses, such as salinity, drought, extreme temperatures and heavy metals, mainly through the induction of antioxidant systems, in order to palliate oxidative cellular damage. H2S also appears to be involved in regulating physiological functions, such as seed germination, stomatal movement and fruit ripening, as well as molecules that maintain post-harvest quality and rhizobium–legume symbiosis. These properties of H2S open up new challenges in plant research to better understand its functions as well as new opportunities for biotechnological treatments in agriculture in a changing environment.

H2S signaling in plants and applications in agriculture