The role of glutathione in photosynthetic organisms: emerging functions for glutaredoxins and glutathionylation.
Glutathione, a tripeptide with the sequence gamma-Glu-Cys-Gly, exists either in a reduced form with a free thiol group or in an oxidized form with a disulfide between two identical molecules. We describe here briefly the pathways involved in the synthesis, reduction, polymerization, and degradation of glutathione, as well as its distribution throughout the plant and its redox buffering capacities. The function of glutathione in xenobiotic and heavy metal detoxification, plant development, and plant-pathogen interactions is also briefly discussed. Several lines of evidence indicate that glutathione and glutaredoxins (GRXs) are implicated in the response to oxidative stress through the regeneration of enzymes involved in peroxide and methionine sulfoxide reduction. Finally, emerging functions for plant GRXs and glutathione concern the regulation of protein activity via glutathionylation and the capacity of some GRXs to bind iron sulfur centers and for some of them to transfer FeS clusters into apoproteins.
Rouhier
Nicolas
N
Unité Mixte de Recherches, 1136 INRA-UHP Interaction Arbres-Microorganismes, IFR 110 GEEF, Nancy University, Faculté des Sciences, 54506 Vandoeuvre Cedex, France. nrouhier@scbiol.uhp-nancy.fr
Lemaire
Stéphane D
SD
Jacquot
Jean-Pierre
JP
D054477:Glutaredoxins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010788:Photosynthesis; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
D054477:Glutaredoxins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione