Glutathione Transferase Functions in Plant Stress Responses

Glutathione transferases (GSTs) form a large and diverse family of enzymes that catalyse the conjugation of the tripeptide glutathione to a range of endogenous and exogenous substrates. In plants, GSTs fulfil critical roles in maintaining redox homeostasis by detoxifying reactive oxygen species and electrophilic compounds generated under abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, extreme temperatures and heavy‐metal exposure. Beyond catalytic conjugation, certain GST isoforms bind and transport secondary metabolites, thereby influencing phytohormone signalling and stress‐induced gene expression. The multigenic nature of the GST family—divided into classes such as tau, phi, zeta and lambda—reflects extensive gene duplication events that have allowed functional divergence. Expression of individual GST genes is often tissue‐specific and rapidly induced by stress, linking GST activity to adaptive responses that protect cellular macromolecules, restore redox balance and facilitate the sequestration or efflux of toxic compounds. Integration of GST function with signalling pathways, including abscisic acid and jasmonate networks, underpins crosstalk between detoxification, growth regulation and defence. Harnessing GST diversity through genetic and biotechnological approaches holds promise for improving crop resilience, reducing yield losses under adverse conditions and mitigating contamination of food chains by environmental pollutants.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A comprehensive genome-wide analysis in pepper (Capsicum annuum) identified 85 GST genes distributed across ten classes, revealing that segmental duplication has been the principal driver of family expansion. Conserved domain and motif architecture among orthologues in Arabidopsis, rice and potato point to an early diversification of GST classes predating the monocot–dicot split. Expression profiling under cold, heat, drought, salinity and osmotic stress showed coordinated up-regulation of most GST transcripts and corresponding increases in total GST activity. Promoter analysis uncovered a suite of hormone- and stress-responsive cis-elements, offering targets for the manipulation of stress-induced GST expression in crop improvement programmes.

Glutathione Transferase Functions in Plant Stress Responses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in glutathione transferase functions in plant stress responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Glutathione (GSH): A tripeptide (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) that acts as an antioxidant and cosubstrate for detoxification reactions.

Glutathione transferase (GST): An enzyme that catalyses the conjugation of GSH to electrophilic compounds, aiding in detoxification and stress tolerance.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen that can damage cellular components under stress.

Abiotic stress: Environmental factors such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes or heavy metals that adversely affect plant growth.

Xenobiotic: A chemical compound foreign to an organism, often requiring enzymatic detoxification.

References

1. Genome-wide identification of glutathione S-transferase gene family in pepper, its classification, and expression profiling under different anatomical and environmental conditions. Scientific Reports (2019).
2. Genome-wide characterization of the glutathione S-transferase gene family in Phaseolus vulgaris reveals insight into the roles of their members in responses to multiple abiotic stresses. Plant Stress (2024).
3. Glutathione Transferases Are Involved in the Genotype-Specific Salt-Stress Response of Tomato Plants. Antioxidants (2023).
4. Glutathione S-Transferases: Role in Combating Abiotic Stresses Including Arsenic Detoxification in Plants. Frontiers in Plant Science (2018).