Antioxidants and redox regulation: Changing notions in a changing world

• Published in: Plant physiology and biochemistry Vol. 48; no. 5; pp. 289 - 291
• Main Author: De Tullio, Mario C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01.05.2010
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Antioxidants; Ascorbate; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Glutathione; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; Plants - genetics; Plants - metabolism; Proteins - metabolism; Reactive Nitrogen Species - metabolism; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Redox regulation; Signal Transduction; Thioredoxins - metabolism; Antioxidants; Ascorbate; Redox regulation; Glutathione
• ISSN: 0981-9428; 1873-2690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2010.02.011

The concepts of antioxidants and redox regulation are reconsidered in the light of recent findings, and some new future challenges for redox biology are outlined. It is suggested that antioxidants, thioredoxin-mediated redox regulation, and signal transduction mediated by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, are all part of the same broad mechanism. The integration of different redox inputs, by affecting reversible thiol-disulfide dynamics in a set of target proteins, could result in the regulation of key processes such as proteolysis, gene expression and the functioning of selected metabolic pathways. Most interestingly, redox regulation is not just based on a binary “yes or no” response, and is therefore a convenient way to achieve graded control over the continuum of environmental variables.