Oxidative Metabolism and Redox Regulation in Plant Systems

Plants orchestrate a complex interplay between energy-yielding pathways and redox networks to sustain growth, development and stress responses. Central to this interplay are mitochondrial respiration, photosynthetic electron transport and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP), each contributing to cellular pools of ATP, reducing equivalents and metabolic intermediates. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated as by-products of electron transport and metabolic oxidation, serve both as potential toxins and as signalling cues that modulate gene expression, enzyme activities and developmental programmes. To prevent oxidative damage, plants deploy an array of antioxidants—ascorbate, glutathione and specialised enzymes such as peroxidases and superoxide dismutases—that work in concert with redox carriers like thioredoxin. Compartment-specific regulation ensures that chloroplasts, mitochondria, peroxisomes and the cytosol maintain distinct redox states while allowing dynamic exchange of signals and metabolites. Redox regulation of key enzymes via thiol–disulfide interconversion or phosphorylation underpins the coordination of carbon metabolism with hormonal signalling and defence pathways, thereby conferring metabolic flexibility under fluctuating environmental conditions.

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Oxidative Metabolism and Redox Regulation in Plant Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oxidative metabolism and redox regulation in plant systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Oxygen-derived molecules (e.g. superoxide, hydrogen peroxide) that act as both damaging oxidants and signalling mediators.

NADPH: Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, a key electron donor for biosynthesis and antioxidant systems.

Oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP): A metabolic route generating ribose-5-phosphate and NADPH, essential for biosynthesis and redox balancing.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH): The rate-limiting enzyme of the OPPP that produces NADPH from glucose-6-phosphate.

Thioredoxin: A small protein that catalyses reversible thiol–disulfide exchange to regulate enzyme activities in response to redox changes.

Glutathione: A tripeptide (γ-glutamylcysteinylglycine) serving as a major cellular redox buffer and cofactor for peroxidase enzymes.

References

1. PGI1-mediated vascular oxidative pentose phosphate pathway modulates photosynthesis via long-distance cytokinin signaling. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry (2024).
2. ZmG6PDH1 in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase family enhances cold stress tolerance in maize. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
3. Evidence for dual targeting control of Arabidopsis 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase isoforms by N-terminal phosphorylation. Journal of Experimental Botany (2024).