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Glutaredoxins and thioredoxins in plants
Yves Meyer1, Wafi Siala, Talaat Bashandy
1Université de Perpignan, Génome et dévelopement des plantes, CNRS-UP-IRD UMR 5096, Av P. Alduy, F 66860 Perpignan, Cedex, France. ymeyer@univ-perp.fr
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|December 1, 2007
Summary
Plant thioredoxins and glutaredoxins, initially identified in specific cellular compartments, are now known to be encoded by numerous genes. Their roles in plant development and stress adaptation are extensive, though specific in planta functions remain challenging to pinpoint.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Redox biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Two plant thioredoxin systems (chloroplastic and cytosolic) were identified in the 1970s-1980s, regulating key metabolic enzymes.
- Plant glutaredoxins were identified later, with subsequent genomic studies revealing a much larger family of redoxins.
- Peroxiredoxins in various plant organelles suggest a broad role for redoxins in antioxidant defense.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of understanding plant thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems.
- To highlight the impact of genomic and proteomic data on identifying new redoxin types and targets.
- To discuss current challenges in elucidating specific in planta redoxin-target interactions.
Main Methods:
- Genomic sequencing programs to identify novel redoxin genes.
- Proteomics approaches to characterize redoxin target proteins.
- In vitro biochemical assays (implied for studying redoxin specificity).
Main Results:
- Discovery of a large number of plant genes encoding various thioredoxins, glutaredoxins, and peroxiredoxins.
- Identification of numerous thioredoxin target proteins involved in plant development and stress responses.
- Characterization of redoxin involvement in antioxidant defense mechanisms across different cellular compartments.
Conclusions:
- Plant redoxin systems are more complex and diverse than previously thought, with broad roles in plant physiology.
- Proteomics has significantly advanced the identification of redoxin targets, linking them to vital plant processes.
- Determining specific in planta redoxin-target interactions remains a critical future challenge due to enzyme promiscuity and genetic redundancy.
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