Hydrogen Sulfide: A Signal Molecule in Plant Cross-Adaptation

• Published in: Frontiers in plant science Vol. 7; p. 1621
• Main Authors: Li, Zhong-Guang, Min, Xiong, Zhou, Zhi-Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 26.10.2016
• Subjects: Cross-adaptation; Hydrogen Sulfide; Plant Science; signal crosstalk; Signal molecule; Stress Tolerance; stress tolerance; hydrogen sulfide; signal crosstalk; cross-adaptation
• ISSN: 1664-462X; 1664-462X
• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01621

For a long time, hydrogen sulfide (H S) has been considered as merely a toxic by product of cell metabolism, but nowadays is emerging as a novel gaseous signal molecule, which participates in seed germination, plant growth and development, as well as the acquisition of stress tolerance including cross-adaptation in plants. Cross-adaptation, widely existing in nature, is the phenomenon in which plants expose to a moderate stress can induce the resistance to other stresses. The mechanism of cross-adaptation is involved in a complex signal network consisting of many second messengers such as Ca , abscisic acid, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide, as well as their crosstalk. The cross-adaptation signaling is commonly triggered by moderate environmental stress or exogenous application of signal molecules or their donors, which in turn induces cross-adaptation by enhancing antioxidant system activity, accumulating osmolytes, synthesizing heat shock proteins, as well as maintaining ion and nutrient balance. In this review, based on the current knowledge on H S and cross-adaptation in plant biology, H S homeostasis in plant cells under normal growth conditions; H S signaling triggered by abiotic stress; and H S-induced cross-adaptation to heavy metal, salt, drought, cold, heat, and flooding stress were summarized, and concluded that H S might be a candidate signal molecule in plant cross-adaptation. In addition, future research direction also has been proposed.