Exogenous nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide as biotechnological tools for enhancing plant adaptation to cold

Abstract

The challenge of increasing plant tolerance to low temperatures is still relevant despite the upward trend in the average temperatures on Earth. Sharp temperature fluctuations during growing periods and cultivation of thermophilic crops in more northern latitudes increase the likelihood of plants being damaged by cold. Physiologically active substances, primarily hormones and signalling molecules, are considered to be effective for increasing plant tolerance to extreme temperatures. In the last decade, among such compounds, researchers' and practitioners' considerable attention has been paid to gasotransmitters – gaseous substances that are synthesized by living organisms and perform signalling functions. The review analyses the molecular mechanisms of stress protective effects of two major gasotransmitters – nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In particular, the physiological effects of gasotransmitters that are attributed to their ability to cause post-translational modifications of numerous target proteins as well as those related to their functional interactions with other signaling intermediaries, primarily ROS and calcium ions, are discussed. The available data on the actions of donors of these gasotransmitters on thermophilic and cold-tolerant plants are summarized. Particular attention is paid to the influence of exogenous NO and H2S on the antioxidant system in plants, their ability to accumulate osmolytes and other low-molecular compounds with multifunctional stress protective effects. Data on the influence of gasotransmitters on fruits during low-temperature storage are analysed separately. It is emphasized that increased storability of fruits under the influence of NO and H2S donors is largely controlled by the ability of both gasotransmitters to inhibit ethylene synthesis. It was concluded that exogenous nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide could be effective tools for increasing tolerance of different plant taxon’s to low temperatures and used in crop production and storage technologies for fruits and vegetables.

Keywords

• cold stress
• gasotransmitters
• plant stress protective systems
• ost-translational modification of proteins
• signal transduction