ABSTRACT

Seed germination is one of the key processes in nature, with several studies focused on improving this process. One successful strategy is to expose seeds to hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a cytotoxic reactive molecule at high concentrations, but a signaling molecule with positive physiological effects at low concentrations. This review describes and discusses (1) the signaling and physiological effects of H₂S over the seeds’ up-regulated antioxidant activities, to diminish the damage caused by reactive oxygen species, (2) the antagonism of H₂S towards ethylene via the down-regulation and persulfidation of enzymes involved in ethylene synthase production, and also by decreasing the sensitivity of ethylene receptors, (3) the impacts of persulfidation in mitochondria and their implication in the electron transport chain, and (4) the enzymes that are affected by H₂S, its interaction with abscisic acid, drought, heat, and salinity, as well as its influence on biological nitrogen fixation. H₂S regulates abiotic stress tolerance by affecting stress-related genes. This review further provides an overview of the biological role of H₂S in seed germination and its potential use to improve the establishment of plants. The use of H₂S to establish biotechnological strategies to minimize stress factors is a promising approach to improve crop productivity.

摘要

种子发芽是自然界的关键过程之一，有几项研究集中在改进这一过程。一种成功的策略是将种子暴露于硫化氢 (H ₂ S)，这是一种高浓度的细胞毒性反应分子，但在低浓度时是一种具有积极生理效应的信号分子。_{这篇综述描述并讨论了（1）H 2} S 对种子抗氧化活性上调的信号和生理作用，以减少活性氧造成的损害，（2）H _{2的拮抗作用}通过下调和过硫化参与乙烯合酶产生的酶，以及通过降低乙烯受体的敏感性，S 对乙烯产生影响，(3) 线粒体中过硫化的影响及其在电子传递链中的影响，以及 (4)受H ₂ S 影响的酶，它与脱落酸、干旱、热和盐度的相互作用，以及它对生物固氮的影响。H ₂ S 通过影响胁迫相关基因来调节非生物胁迫耐受性。本综述进一步概述了 H ₂ S 在种子萌发中的生物学作用及其在促进植物生长方面的潜在用途。H _2的使用S 建立生物技术策略以最大限度地减少压力因素是提高作物生产力的有前途的方法。