Biotic stress

Signalling

Reactive oxygen species

Biology

Gene

Cell signaling

Abiotic component

Ecology

Signal transduction

Abiotic stress

Cell biology

Signalling pathways

Biochemistry

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key signalling molecules that enable cells to rapidly respond to different stimuli. In plants, ROS play a crucial role in abiotic and biotic stress sensing, integration of different environmental signals and activation of stress-response networks, thus contributing to the establishment of defence mechanisms and plant resilience. Recent advances in the study of ROS signalling in plants include the identification of ROS receptors and key regulatory hubs that connect ROS signalling with other important stress-response signal transduction pathways and hormones, as well as new roles for ROS in organelle-to-organelle and cell-to-cell signalling. Our understanding of how ROS are regulated in cells by balancing production, scavenging and transport has also increased. In this Review, we discuss these promising developments and how they might be used to increase plant resilience to environmental stress. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling is crucial in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. This Review discusses our current understanding of ROS regulation and sensing in plants, key regulatory hubs that connect ROS signalling with other stress-response pathways and how ROS signalling could be harnessed to increase plant resilience to environmental stress.

Reactive oxygen species signalling in plant stress responses