(h)GR, beans and drought stress

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are commonly found in plants as natural by-products of the metabolism but their production is greatly enhanced under abiotic stresses. Particular metabolites and enzymes belonging to the ascorbate-glutathione cycle are able to scavenge these deleterious molecules and modulate the cellular redox-status. In the March issue of Journal of Plant Physiology, we have shown that drought stress induces a raise in glutathione reductase (GR) activity and gene expression that could be related to the intensity of the drought treatment and the drought susceptibility of the bean cultivar (cowpea and/or common bean). In the present addendum we show new data on GR specific activity during progressive drought stress and recovery of the drought-susceptible bean cultivar which can be related to the previously found dual-targeted GR gene expression. Furthermore, since in leguminous plants homoglutathione (hGSH) is generally the most abundant low molecular weight thiol form, we discuss on the occurrence of a (homo)glutathione reductase activity in beans.