3.1.3. Glutathione
Glutathione is a tripeptide (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl glycine), which was found in essentially all cell compartments such as cytosol, vacuoles, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum
[52][33]. It is engaged with a wide scope of processes such as cell differentiation, cell development/division, cell death, senescence, detoxification of xenobiotics, formation of metabolites, regulation of enzymatic action, synthesis of proteins, and nucleotides, lastly, articulation of stress-responsive genes
[53][34]. The reactivity of the thiol group of glutathione makes it especially appropriate to serve a wide scope of biochemical capacities in all living beings. The nucleophilic nature of the thiol is significant in the development of mercaptide bonds with metals and for reacting with individual electrophiles
[54][35]. For both enzymatically and non-enzymatically reduction of DHA (dehydroascorbate), GSH is used. In these reactions, two GSH molecules are oxidized to GSSG (oxidized glutathione). Glutathione reductase and NADPH are utilized for the regeneration of GSSG to recycle 2 GSH.
3.1.4. Carotenoids
Carotenoids have a place within a group of lipophilic antioxidants, which are confined in the plastids of both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic plant tissues. They are tracked down not just in plants but also found in microorganisms. Carotenoids show their antioxidative property by securing the photosynthetic apparatus in four ways, (a) responding with LPO items to end the radical chain reaction, (b) interacting with
1O
2 and creating heat as a byproduct, (c) preventing light-dependent production of
1O
2 by reacting with
3Chl
* and exciting chlorophyll (Chl
*), and (d) interacting with xanthophylls to allow transfer of excitation energy. This reaction allows the release of surplus energy as heat through the xanthophyll cycle
[12][36].
3.1.5. Flavonoids
Flavonoids are generally found in the plant kingdom preferentially in the leaves, flower organs, and pollen grains. Flavonoids can be ordered into four classes based on their structure, flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, and anthocyanins. They were considered a secondary ROS scavenging system in plants. They likewise interact with
1O
2, and this way reduces the risk of peroxidation of membrane lipids
[55][37].
Flavonoids are the only antioxidant biomolecules that possess the capacity to absorb UV radiation. Absorbed energy quanta result in a generation of ROS. The ROS generation from certain flavonoids was studied using fluorescence probes. Flavonoids generate three ROS types: the superoxide anion radical (O
2•− ), the hydroxyl radical (
•OH), and singlet oxygen (
1O
2). This is based on the presence of the 2,3 double bond found in all flavonoids.
3.2. Enzymes Catalyzing ROS Removal
3.2.1. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD; EC.1.15.1)
The superoxide dismutase enzyme family is arranged into three categories Cu/Zn-SOD, Fe-SOD, and Mn-SOD. They are protecting from damage by dismutating O
2•− into O
2 and H
2O
2 and lessening the probability of
•OH formation
[57][38]. Cu/ZnSOD is present in chloroplasts and the cytosol of the plant cell, and MnSOD is present in peroxisomes and the mitochondrial matrix. The upregulation of SODs is part of the oxidative stress response and is crucial for the survival of plants.
3.2.2. Catalases (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6)
Catalases are preferentially found in peroxisomes. They are tetrameric heme-containing enzymes that convert 2 H
2O
2 to O
2 + 2H
2O
[43][24]. Many plants have different catalase isozymes. Six were found in Arabidopsis, two in castor bean
[58][39]. They can dismutate H
2O
2 or, on the other hand, can oxidize substrates such as ethanol, methanol, formic acid, and formaldehyde. Plant catalases can be grouped into three classes: class I catalases are generally noticeable in photosynthetic tissues and are associated with the expulsion of H
2O
2 delivered during photorespiration; class II catalases are produced in vascular tissues and may assume a part in lignification, and their accurate biological function stays obscure; class III catalases are profoundly plentiful in seeds, and young plants and their function connect with the removal of excessive H
2O
2 delivered during unsaturated fat degradation in the glyoxylate cycle in glyoxysomes
[59][40].
3.2.3. Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX; E.C. 1.1.11.1)
APX is an essential part of the Ascorbate–Glutathione (ASC-GSH) cycle. While CAT preferentially scavenges H
2O
2 in the peroxisomes, APX fills a similar role in the chloroplast and cytosol. Ascorbic acid is used as a reducing agent to reduce H
2O
2 to H
2O and also DHA. The APX family comprises at minimum five distinct isoforms, including thylakoid and microsomal membrane-bound structures, just as dissolvable stromal, cytosolic, and also apoplastic enzymes
[66,67,68][41][42][43]. APX is a more efficient scavenger of H
2O
2 in times of stress because it is widely distributed and has a better affinity for H
2O
2 than CAT. The isoform that is more responsive to light-mediated oxidative stress is APX1. This is due to the suppression of tylEX. An enhanced stress tolerance could be observed when the expression of tylAPX was stimulated
[68][43].
3.2.4. Monodehydroascorbate Reductase (MDHAR; E.C. 1.6.5.4)
MDHAR is liable for recovering ascorbic acid (AA) from the fleeting MDHA, involving NADPH as a reducing agent, ultimately renewing the cell AA pool. Since it recovers AA, it is co-localized with the APX in the mitochondria and peroxisomes, where APX rummages H
2O
2 and oxidizes AA in the process
[69][44]. MDHAR has a few isozymes that are bound in chloroplast, glyoxysomes, mitochondria, cytosol, and peroxisomes.
3.2.5. Glutathione Peroxidases (GPX, EC 1.11.1.9)
Glutathione peroxidases are a group of numerous isozymes which catalyze the reduction in H
2O
2 [70,71,72][45][46][47]. It assumes an essential part in the biosynthesis of lignin, just as guards against biotic stress by debasing indole acetic acid (IAA) and using H
2O
2 all the while. GPX favors fragrant aromatic compounds such as guaiacol and pyrogallol
[73][48] as electron donors. GPxs in plants are characterized into three kinds: selenium-subordinate (GPx, EC 1.11.1.19), the non-selenium-subordinate phospholipids hydroperoxide GPx (PHGPX), and glutathione transferases (GST, EC 2.5.1.18) showing GPx movement (GST-GPx). Due to its presence in cytosol and vacuole, it is considered a vital enzyme in the evacuation of H
2O
2.
PHGPx was displayed to react to salt stress
[71][46], and this increment in action was seen in catalase deficient tobacco plants
[70][45]. In citrus, PHGPx protein and the gene encoding were isolated and characterized.
4. Regulating ROS Concentrations in Plant Cells
4.1. Stress Perception and Signaling
Several forms of abiotic stress are indirectly linked to water deficit stress. This applies to ionic stresses (salt/sodic stress, high nutrient stress, etc.) and cold stress, for instance
[76,77][49][50]. As a result, responses of cell turgor are observed, and the cellular concentration of ABA increases
[78][51]. ABA-dependent and ABA-independent responses were described
[79][52]. Due to ABA transport, respective effects can be observed in the whole plant. Stomata closure is among the most obvious ABA responses. By using molecular methods, the expression of ABA-responsive genes was observed
[65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. Gene products can be categorized into compatible solutes and compounds conferring protection from osmotic and ionic damage. As shown in
Figure 5, metabolites of primary carbohydrate and amino acid pathways function as substrates for the respective catalysis of these compounds. Among the second type of products are signaling compounds and transcription factors regulating further genes
[81,82,83][57][58][59].
Figure 5. The synthesis of compatible compounds and signaling molecules integrating into plant metabolism. Depending on the respective genetic potential, plants differ in the expression of metabolic pathways. Moreover, these preferences may vary during a plant’s life cycle. This has consequences for the preferences to produce individual compounds such as compatible solutes, hormones, and other signaling molecules. Levels of these molecules depend on both availabilities of substrates (precursors) and the activities of enzymes involved in biosynthesis.
4.2. ROS in Signaling Events
Reactive oxygen species are not only toxic side products of aerobic metabolism but also are important signaling compounds tuning metabolism as well as plant development. There is a tightly knit network of ROS signaling pathways, Ca signaling, and ethylene signaling. During optimal growth conditions, ROS synthesis rate and ROS degradation rate are balanced, allowing a constant cellular ROS level. ROS scavenging occurs by interaction with antioxidant molecules as well as enzyme-controlled degradation at the expense of the cellular ascorbate/dehydroascorbate and glutathione (GSH/GSSG) redox pools
[92][60].
4.3. Regulating the Activity of ROS Scavenging Enzymes
Typically it is observed that the activity of ROS scavenging enzymes increases as a response to environmental stress. When comparing genotypes differing in the degree of stress tolerance, the more tolerant genotype shows a more pronounced increase in ROS scavenging activity as compared to the more sensitive one
[97][61]. It was also generally observed that the expression and activities of antioxidant enzymes not only differ between roots and shoots but also vary during the phase of stress adaptation
[98][62].