Plant Gasotransmitters Metabolism and Action

Dear Colleagues,

Recent years have provided many scientific results related to the dual action of volatile, low-molecular-weight compounds, commonly classified as gasotransmitters. These molecules include nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and carbon monoxide (CO). At low concentrations, they play a regulatory/signaling role in plants, but at higher levels, are toxic. NO is a very reactive compound produced in different cellular compartments. Depending on NO chemical properties, it is involved in direct or indirect modifications of various molecules, e.g., proteins or lipids. Many physiological processes of plants are under NO regulation. Every higher plant synthesizes HCN through the biosynthesis of the hormone ethylene (non-cyanogenic plants). Some plants accumulate compounds that release HCN upon hydrolysis. The best-known action of HCN is the involvement in seed dormancy release, plant responses to herbivores, and post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins (S-cyanylation). H₂S is also involved in numerous physiological processes, including stomatal movement, root morphogenesis, photosynthesis, regulation of seed germination, senescence, and fruit ripening. This molecule is also involved in proteins PTM. CO action as a signaling molecule in plants is quite well recognized. CO participates in different processes of plant growth and development, modulates seed germination, responses to different stressors, stomatal closure, and root development.

All these molecules are known to interact with different hormones and may interact with each other (cross talk). In addition, they affect the content of reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS).

This Special Issue on “Plant gasotransmitters metabolism and action” in Plants brings together a collection of primary research papers and targeted reviews of the biochemical and physiological modes of action, signal transduction pathways, and the metabolism of NO, HCN, H₂S, and CO in plants. It provides a snapshot of contemporary plant gasotransmitter signal transduction with the goal of targeting new areas of discussion and investigation.

Dr. Urszula Krasuska
Guest Editor

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• volatile compounds
• cyanide
• sulfide
• signaling transduction.