title: Redox homeostasis in plants. The challenge of living with endogenous oxygen production.
abstract: Plants are not only obligate aerobic organisms requiring oxygen for mitochondrial energy production, but also produce oxygen during photosynthesis. Therefore, plant cells have to cope with a hyperoxic cellular environment that determines a production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) higher than the one occurring in animal cells. In order to maintain redox homeostasis under control, plants evolved a particularly complex and redundant ROS-scavenging system, in which enzymes and metabolites are linked in a network of reactions. This review gives an overview of the mechanisms active in plant cells for controlling redox homeostasis during optimal growth conditions, when ROS are produced in a steady-state low amount, and during stress conditions, when ROS production is increased. Particular attention is paid to the aspects of oxygen/ROS management for which plant and animal cells differ.
authors.affiliation: Centro Integrato di Ricerca, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, via A. del Portillo 21, Rome, Italy. l.degara@unicampus.it
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Gara
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Locato
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dipierro
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Pinto
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D045222:Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D045222:Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D010100:Oxygen