title: Plant sugars are crucial players in the oxidative challenge during abiotic stress: extending the traditional concept.
abstract: Plants suffering from abiotic stress are commonly facing an enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with damaging as well as signalling effects at organellar and cellular levels. The outcome of an environmental challenge highly depends on the delicate balance between ROS production and scavenging by both enzymatic and metabolic antioxidants. However, this traditional classification is in need of renewal and reform, as it is becoming increasingly clear that soluble sugars such as disaccharides, raffinose family oligosaccharides and fructans--next to their associated metabolic enzymes--are strongly related to stress-induced ROS accumulation in plants. Therefore, this review aims at extending the current concept of antioxidants functioning during abiotic stress, with special focus on the emanate role of sugars as true ROS scavengers. Examples are given based on their cellular location, as different organelles seem to exploit distinct mechanisms. Moreover, the vacuole comes into the picture as important player in the ROS signalling network of plants. Elucidating the interplay between the mechanisms controlling ROS signalling during abiotic stress will facilitate the development of strategies to enhance crop tolerance to stressful environmental conditions.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keunen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KULeuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Darin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peshev
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jaco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vangronsveld
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Plant Biology and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KULeuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Den Ende
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, B-3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuypers
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005630:Fructans / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D020675:Peroxisomes / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011887:Raffinose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004187:Disaccharides; D005630:Fructans; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D011887:Raffinose
keywords: antioxidants; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species; vacuole