title: Glutathione is a key player in metal-induced oxidative stress defenses.
abstract: Since the industrial revolution, the production, and consequently the emission of metals, has increased exponentially, overwhelming the natural cycles of metals in many ecosystems. Metals display a diverse array of physico-chemical properties such as essential versus non-essential and redox-active versus non-redox-active. In general, all metals can lead to toxicity and oxidative stress when taken up in excessive amounts, imposing a serious threat to the environment and human health. In order to cope with different kinds of metals, plants possess defense strategies in which glutathione (GSH; γ-glu-cys-gly) plays a central role as chelating agent, antioxidant and signaling component. Therefore, this review highlights the role of GSH in: (1) metal homeostasis; (2) antioxidative defense; and (3) signal transduction under metal stress. The diverse functions of GSH originate from the sulfhydryl group in cysteine, enabling GSH to chelate metals and participate in redox cycling.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jozefczak
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Remans
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jaco
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4423-8363
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vangronsveld
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuypers
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D005978:Glutathione / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002614:Chelating Agents; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D005978:Glutathione