Bridging Between Proline Structure, Functions, Metabolism, and Involvement in Organism Physiology

Much is now known about proline multifunctionality and metabolism; some aspects of its biological functions are still unclear. Here, we discuss some cases in the proline, structure, definition, metabolism, compartmentalization, accumulation, plausible functions and also its implication in homeostasis and organism physiology. Indeed, we report the role of proline in cellular homeostasis, including redox balance and energy status and their implication as biocatalyst for aldolase activity. Proline can act as a signaling molecule to modulate mitochondrial functions, influence cell proliferation or cell death, and trigger specific gene expression, which can be essential for plant recovery from stresses. Although, the regulation and the function of proline accumulation, during abiotic stresses, are not yet completely understood. The engineering of proline metabolism could lead to new opportunities to improve plant tolerance against environmental stresses. This atypical amino acid has a potential role in the toxicity during growth of some microorganism, vegetal, and mammalian species. Furthermore, we note that the purpose through the work is to provide a rich, concise, and mostly cohesive source on proline, considered as a platform and an anchor between several disciplines and biological functions.