Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response?
The proteinogenic amino acid proline plays crucial roles in both plant development and stress responses, far exceeding its role in protein synthesis. However, the molecular mechanisms and the relative importance of these additional functions of proline remain under study. It is well documented that...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| author | Marco Renzetti Dietmar Funck Maurizio Trovato |
| author_facet | Marco Renzetti Dietmar Funck Maurizio Trovato |
| author_sort | Marco Renzetti |
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| description | The proteinogenic amino acid proline plays crucial roles in both plant development and stress responses, far exceeding its role in protein synthesis. However, the molecular mechanisms and the relative importance of these additional functions of proline remain under study. It is well documented that both stress responses and developmental processes are associated with proline accumulation. Under stress conditions, proline is believed to confer stress tolerance, while under physiological conditions, it assists in developmental processes, particularly during the reproductive phase. Due to proline’s properties as a compatible osmolyte and potential reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, most of its beneficial effects have historically been attributed to the physicochemical consequences of its accumulation in plants. However, emerging evidence points to proline metabolism as the primary driver of these beneficial effects. Recent reports have shown that proline metabolism, in addition to supporting reproductive development, can modulate root meristem size by controlling ROS accumulation and distribution in the root meristem. The dynamic interplay between proline and ROS highlights a sophisticated regulatory network essential for plant resilience and survival. This fine-tuning mechanism, enabled by the pro-oxidant and antioxidant properties of compartmentalized proline metabolism, can modulate redox balance and ROS homeostasis, potentially explaining many of the multiple roles attributed to proline. This review uniquely integrates recent findings on the dual role of proline in both ROS scavenging and signaling, provides an updated overview of the most recent research published to date, and proposes a unified mechanism that could account for many of the multiple roles assigned to proline in plant development and stress defense. By focusing on the interplay between proline and ROS, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of this proposed mechanism and highlight the potential applications in improving crop resilience to environmental stress. Additionally, we address current gaps in understanding and suggest future research directions to further elucidate the complex roles of proline in plant biology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dacea5e89de640309a8683e963632d6f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-dacea5e89de640309a8683e963632d6f2025-01-10T13:19:27ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-12-01141210.3390/plants14010002Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response?Marco Renzetti0Dietmar Funck1Maurizio Trovato2Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, GermanyDepartment of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyThe proteinogenic amino acid proline plays crucial roles in both plant development and stress responses, far exceeding its role in protein synthesis. However, the molecular mechanisms and the relative importance of these additional functions of proline remain under study. It is well documented that both stress responses and developmental processes are associated with proline accumulation. Under stress conditions, proline is believed to confer stress tolerance, while under physiological conditions, it assists in developmental processes, particularly during the reproductive phase. Due to proline’s properties as a compatible osmolyte and potential reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, most of its beneficial effects have historically been attributed to the physicochemical consequences of its accumulation in plants. However, emerging evidence points to proline metabolism as the primary driver of these beneficial effects. Recent reports have shown that proline metabolism, in addition to supporting reproductive development, can modulate root meristem size by controlling ROS accumulation and distribution in the root meristem. The dynamic interplay between proline and ROS highlights a sophisticated regulatory network essential for plant resilience and survival. This fine-tuning mechanism, enabled by the pro-oxidant and antioxidant properties of compartmentalized proline metabolism, can modulate redox balance and ROS homeostasis, potentially explaining many of the multiple roles attributed to proline. This review uniquely integrates recent findings on the dual role of proline in both ROS scavenging and signaling, provides an updated overview of the most recent research published to date, and proposes a unified mechanism that could account for many of the multiple roles assigned to proline in plant development and stress defense. By focusing on the interplay between proline and ROS, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of this proposed mechanism and highlight the potential applications in improving crop resilience to environmental stress. Additionally, we address current gaps in understanding and suggest future research directions to further elucidate the complex roles of proline in plant biology.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/2proline metabolismroot meristem sizeROSArabidopsis<i>prodh1 prodh2</i><i>p5cs1 P5CS2/p5cs2</i> |
| spellingShingle | Marco Renzetti Dietmar Funck Maurizio Trovato Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response? Plants proline metabolism root meristem size ROS Arabidopsis <i>prodh1 prodh2</i> <i>p5cs1 P5CS2/p5cs2</i> |
| title | Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response? |
| title_full | Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response? |
| title_fullStr | Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response? |
| title_short | Proline and ROS: A Unified Mechanism in Plant Development and Stress Response? |
| title_sort | proline and ros a unified mechanism in plant development and stress response |
| topic | proline metabolism root meristem size ROS Arabidopsis <i>prodh1 prodh2</i> <i>p5cs1 P5CS2/p5cs2</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/2 |
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