Methylglyoxal Detoxification Systems Research Articles

Inflammatory Dietary Potential Is Associated with Vitamin Depletion and Gut Microbial Dysbiosis in Early Pregnancy.

Pregnancy alters many physiological systems, including the maternal gut microbiota. Diet is a key regulator of this system and can alter the host immune system to promote inflammation. Multiple perinatal disorders have been associated with inflammation, maternal metabolic alterations, and gut microbial dysbiosis, including gestational diabetes mellitus, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, and mood disorders. However, the effects of high-inflammatory diets on the gut microbiota during pregnancy have yet to be fully explored. We aimed to address this gap using a system-based approach to characterize associations among dietary inflammatory potential, a measure of diet quality, and the gut microbiome during pregnancy. Forty-seven pregnant persons were recruited prior to 16 weeks of gestation. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and provided fecal samples. Dietary inflammatory potential was assessed using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) from the FFQ data. Fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Differential taxon abundances with respect to the DII score were identified, and the microbial metabolic potential was predicted using PICRUSt2. Inflammatory diets were associated with decreased vitamin and mineral intake and a dysbiotic gut microbiota structure and predicted metabolism. Gut microbial compositional differences revealed a decrease in short-chain fatty acid producers such as Faecalibacterium, and an increase in predicted vitamin B12 synthesis, methylglyoxal detoxification, galactose metabolism, and multidrug efflux systems in pregnant individuals with increased DII scores. Dietary inflammatory potential was associated with a reduction in the consumption of vitamins and minerals and predicted gut microbiota metabolic dysregulation.

Hydrogen sulfide signaling in plant response to temperature stress.

For the past 300 years, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been considered a toxic gas. Nowadays, it has been found to be a novel signaling molecule in plants involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism, seed germination, plant growth, development, and response to environmental stresses, including high temperature (HT) and low temperature (LT). As a signaling molecule, H2S can be actively synthesized and degraded in the cytosol, chloroplasts, and mitochondria of plant cells by enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways to maintain homeostasis. To date, plant receptors for H2S have not been found. It usually exerts physiological functions through the persulfidation of target proteins. In the past 10 years, H2S signaling in plants has gained much attention. Therefore, in this review, based on that same attention, H2S homeostasis, protein persulfidation, and the signaling role of H2S in plant response to HT and LT stress were summarized. Also, the common mechanisms of H2S-induced HT and LT tolerance in plants were updated. These mechanisms involve restoration of biomembrane integrity, synthesis of stress proteins, enhancement of the antioxidant system and methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification system, improvement of the water homeostasis system, and reestablishment of Ca2+ homeostasis and acid-base balance. These updates lay the foundation for further understanding the physiological functions of H2S and acquiring temperature-stress-resistant crops to develop sustainable food and agriculture.

NADPH oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species, antioxidant isozymes, and redox homeostasis regulate salt sensitivity in maize genotypes

The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between oxidative bursts, their regulation with ion homeostasis, and NADPH oxidase (NOX) in different salt-sensitive maize genotypes. For this, in the first study, four differently salt-sensitive maize genotypes (BIL214 × BIL218 as tolerant, BHM-5 as sensitive, and BHM-7 and BHM-9 as moderate-tolerant) were selected on the basis of phenotype, histochemical detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and specific and in-gel activity of NOX. In the next experiment, these genotypes were further examined in 200 mM NaCl solution in half-strength Hoagland media for nine days to study salt-induced changes in NOX activity, ROS accumulation, ion and redox homeostasis, the activity of antioxidants and their isozyme responses, and to find out potential relationships among the traits. Methylglyoxal (MG) and glyoxalse enzymes (Gly I and II) were also evaluated. Fully expanded leaf samplings were collected at 0 (control), 3, 6, 9-day, and after 7 days of recovery to assay different parameters. Na+/K+, NOX, ROS, and MDA contents increased significantly with the progression of stress duration in all maize genotypes, with a significantly higher value in BHM-5 as compared to tolerant and moderate-tolerant genotypes. A continual induction of Cu/Zn-SOD was observed in BIL214 × BIL218 due to salt stress. Substantial decreases in CAT2 and CAT3 isozymes in BHM-5 might be critical for the highest H2O2 burst in that sensitive genotype under salt stress. The highest intensified POD isozymes were visualized in BHM-5, BHM-7, and BHM-9, whereas BIL214 × BIL218 showed a continual induction of POD isozymes, although GPX activity decreased in all the genotypes at 9 days. Under salt stress, the tolerant genotype BIL214 × BIL218 showed superior ASA- and GSH-redox homeostasis by keeping GR and MDHAR activity high. This genotype also had a stronger MG detoxification system by having higher glyoxalase activity. Correlation, comparative heatmap, and PCA analyses revealed positive correlations among Na+/K+, NOX, O2•−, H2O2, MG, proline, GR, GST, and Gly I activities. Importantly, the relationship depends on the salt sensitivity of the genotypes. The reduced CAT activity as well as redox homeostasis were critical to the survival of the sensitive genotype.

Boron Reduced Copper Excess-Induced Oxidative Damage in Citrus sinensis by Modulating Reactive Oxygen Species and Methylglyoxal Formation and Their Detoxification Systems.

Citrus is mainly cultivated in acid soil with low boron (B) and high copper (Cu). In this study, Citrus sinensis seedlings were submitted to 0.5 (control) or 350 μM Cu (Cu excess or Cu exposure) and 2.5, 10, or 25 μM B for 24 weeks. Thereafter, H2O2 production rate (HPR), superoxide production rate (SAPR), malondialdehyde, methylglyoxal, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal detoxification systems were measured in leaves and roots in order to test the hypothesis that B addition mitigated Cu excess-induced oxidative damage in leaves and roots by reducing the Cu excess-induced formation and accumulation of ROS and MG and by counteracting the impairments of Cu excess on ROS and methylglyoxal detoxification systems. Cu and B treatments displayed an interactive influence on ROS and methylglyoxal formation and their detoxification systems. Cu excess increased the HPR, SAPR, methylglyoxal level, and malondialdehyde level by 10.9% (54.3%), 38.9% (31.4%), 50.3% (24.9%), and 312.4% (585.4%), respectively, in leaves (roots) of 2.5 μM B-treated seedlings, while it only increased the malondialdehyde level by 48.5% (97.8%) in leaves (roots) of 25 μM B-treated seedlings. Additionally, B addition counteracted the impairments of Cu excess on antioxidant enzymes, ascorbate-glutathione cycle, sulfur metabolism-related enzymes, sulfur-containing compounds, and methylglyoxal detoxification system, thereby protecting the leaves and roots of Cu-exposed seedlings against oxidative damage via the coordinated actions of ROS and methylglyoxal removal systems. Our findings corroborated the hypothesis that B addition alleviated Cu excess-induced oxidative damage in leaves and roots by decreasing the Cu excess-induced formation and accumulation of ROS and MG and by lessening the impairments of Cu excess on their detoxification systems. Further analysis indicated that the pathways involved in the B-induced amelioration of oxidative stress caused by Cu excess differed between leaves and roots.

Chromate-induced methylglyoxal detoxification system drives cadmium and chromate immobilization by Cupriavidus sp. MP-37

The detoxification of cadmium (Cd) or chromium (Cr) by microorganisms plays a vital role in bacterial survival and restoration of the polluted environment, but how microorganisms detoxify Cd and Cr simultaneously is largely unknown. Here, we isolated a bacterium, Cupriavidus sp. MP-37, which immobilized Cd(II) and reduced Cr(VI) simultaneously. Notably, strain MP-37 exhibited variable Cd(II) immobilization phenotypes, namely, cell adsorption and extracellular immobilization in the co-presence of Cd(II) and Cr(VI), while cell adsorption in the presence of Cd(II) alone. To unravel Cr(VI)-induced extracellular Cd(II) immobilization, proteomic analysis was performed, and methylglyoxal-scavenging protein (glyoxalase I, GlyI) and a regulator (YafY) showed the highest upregulation in the co-presence of Cd(II) and Cr(VI). GlyI overexpression reduced the intracellular methylglyoxal content and increased the immobilized Cd(II) content in extracellular secreta. The addition of lactate produced by GlyI protein with methylglyoxal as substrate increased the Cd(II) content in extracellular secreta. Reporter gene assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and fluorescence quenching assay demonstrated that glyI expression was induced by Cr(VI) but not by Cd(II), and that YafY positively regulated glyI expression by binding Cr(VI). In the pot experiment, inoculation with the MP-37 strain reduced the Cd content of Oryza sativa L., and their secreted lactate reduced the Cr accumulation in Oryza sativa L. This study reveals that Cr(VI)-induced detoxification system drives methylglyoxal scavenging and Cd(II) extracellular detoxification in Cd(II) and Cr(VI) co-existence environment.

Coumarin regulated redox homeostasis to facilitate phytoremediation of saline and alkaline soils by bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.).

The use of coumarin (COU) to alleviate the phytotoxic effects of salinity has great potential in improving the phytoremediation of saline and alkaline soils. 30-day bitter gourd plants were exposed to 15 dS m‒1 salinity of neutral (NaCl and Na2SO4) and alkaline (Na2CO3 and NaHCO3) salts. 60-day plants were harvested to record different growth, physiological and biochemical attributes. Salinity significantly subsided plant growth, chlorophyll, photosynthesis, and nutrient acquisition. Salinity induced notable oxidative damage in plants that displayed higher relative membrane permeability (RMP), accumulated elevated ROS (H2O2 and O2•‒) and MDA levels alongside intensified lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. The production of cytotoxic methylglyoxal was also significantly higher in plants under salinity. COU seed priming (50, 100 and 150mg L‒1) promoted plant growth by circumventing oxidative injury and intensifying oxidative defense. Further, COU maintained the intricate balance between reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione to diminish ion excess toxicity, thereby facilitating the phytoremediation of saline soils. The lower doses of COU promoted methylglyoxal and ROS detoxification systems that, in turn, lessened the phytotoxic effects of salinity. COU restored ions homeostasis by augmenting osmotic adjustment in plants under salinity.

Exogenous Gallic Acid Confers Salt Tolerance in Rice Seedlings: Modulation of Ion Homeostasis, Osmoregulation, Antioxidant Defense, and Methylglyoxal Detoxification Systems

The worldwide saline-affected area is expanding day by day, and soil salinity restricts crop development and productivity, including rice. Considering this, the current study explored the response of gallic acid (GA) in conferring salinity tolerance in rice seedlings. Fourteen-day-old rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. BRRI dhan52) seedlings were treated with 200 mM NaCl alone or combined with 1 mM GA. Salt stress resulted in osmotic, ionic, and oxidative stress in rice seedlings. Osmotic stress increased proline accumulation and osmotic potential, which decreased the relative water content, chlorophyll contents, and dry weight. Ionic stress interrupted ion homeostasis by Na+ accumulation and K+ leakage. Osmotic and ionic stress, concomitantly, disrupted antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems by higher production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG), respectively. It resulted in oxidative damage indicated by the high amount of malondialdehyde (MDA). The supplementation of GA in salt-treated rice seedlings partially recovered salt-induced damages by improving osmotic and ionic homeostasis by increasing water balance and decreasing Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratio. Supplemental GA enhanced the antioxidant defense system in salt-treated rice seedlings by increasing ascorbate (AsA), glutathione (GSH), and phenolic compounds and the activities of AsA-GSH cycle enzymes, including monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and glutathione reductase (GR) enzymes that accelerated ROS detoxification and decreased oxidative damage. Gallic acid also enhanced the detoxification of MG by triggering glyoxalase enzyme activities in salt-treated rice seedlings. The present findings elucidated that supplemental GA reversed salt-induced damage in rice seedlings through improving osmotic and ionic homeostasis and upregulating the ROS and MG detoxification system.

High pH Alleviated Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) Copper Toxicity by Enhancing the Capacity to Maintain a Balance between Formation and Removal of Reactive Oxygen Species and Methylglyoxal in Leaves and Roots.

The contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG) formation and removal in high-pH-mediated alleviation of plant copper (Cu)-toxicity remains to be elucidated. Seedlings of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) were treated with 0.5 (non-Cu-toxicity) or 300 (Cu-toxicity) μM CuCl2 × pH 4.8, 4.0, or 3.0 for 17 weeks. Thereafter, superoxide anion production rate; H2O2 production rate; the concentrations of MG, malondialdehyde (MDA), and antioxidant metabolites (reduced glutathione, ascorbate, phytochelatins, metallothioneins, total non-protein thiols); and the activities of enzymes (antioxidant enzymes, glyoxalases, and sulfur metabolism-related enzymes) in leaves and roots were determined. High pH mitigated oxidative damage in Cu-toxic leaves and roots, thereby conferring sweet orange Cu tolerance. The alleviation of oxidative damage involved enhanced ability to maintain the balance between ROS and MG formation and removal through the downregulation of ROS and MG formation and the coordinated actions of ROS and MG detoxification systems. Low pH (pH 3.0) impaired the balance between ROS and MG formation and removal, thereby causing oxidative damage in Cu-toxic leaves and roots but not in non-Cu-toxic ones. Cu toxicity and low pH had obvious synergistic impacts on ROS and MG generation and removal in leaves and roots. Additionally, 21 (4) parameters in leaves were positively (negatively) related to the corresponding root parameters, implying that there were some similarities and differences in the responses of ROS and MG metabolisms to Cu-pH interactions between leaves and roots.

Detoxification of methylglyoxal by the glyoxalase system is required for glutathione availability and virulence activation in Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, food-borne pathogen that lives a biphasic lifestyle, cycling between the environment and as a facultative intracellular pathogen of mammals. Upon entry into host cells, L. monocytogenes upregulates expression of glutathione synthase (GshF) and its product, glutathione (GSH), which is an allosteric activator of the master virulence regulator PrfA. Although gshF mutants are highly attenuated for virulence in mice and form very small plaques in host cell monolayers, these virulence defects can be fully rescued by mutations that lock PrfA in its active conformation, referred to as PrfA*. While PrfA activation can be recapitulated in vitro by the addition of reducing agents, the precise biological cue(s) experienced by L. monocytogenes that lead to PrfA activation are not known. Here we performed a genetic screen to identify additional small-plaque mutants that were rescued by PrfA* and identified gloA, which encodes glyoxalase A, a component of a GSH-dependent methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification system. MG is a toxic byproduct of metabolism produced by both the host and pathogen, which if accumulated, causes DNA damage and protein glycation. As a facultative intracellular pathogen, L. monocytogenes must protect itself from MG produced by its own metabolic processes and that of its host. We report that gloA mutants grow normally in broth, are sensitive to exogenous MG and severely attenuated upon IV infection in mice, but are fully rescued for virulence in a PrfA* background. We demonstrate that transcriptional activation of gshF increased upon MG challenge in vitro, and while this resulted in higher levels of GSH for wild-type L. monocytogenes, the glyoxalase mutants had decreased levels of GSH, presumably due to the accumulation of the GSH-MG hemithioacetal adduct. These data suggest that MG acts as a host cue that leads to GSH production and activation of PrfA.

Insight into the thiourea-induced drought tolerance in two chickpea varieties: Regulation of osmoprotection, reactive oxygen species metabolism and glyoxalase system

The sulfhydryl bioregulator thiourea (TU) is effective in ameliorating the negative impact of different abiotic stresses in plants. To explore the significant performance of TU (5 mM TU, as foliar spray) in conferring mild (25% depletion of water from field capacity, FC), moderate (50% depletion from FC) and severe (75% depletion from FC) drought stress (applied at 25 days after sowing), physiological and biochemical responses of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars (cv. BARI Chola-7 and BARI Chola-9) were investigated in the current study. Shoot fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll content and leaf relative water content reduced noticeably in mild, moderate and severe drought stresses over control. A sharp increase of H2O2 accumulation, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and proline content were noticed at any level of drought stress which further declined in TU-treated drought-stressed plants. Thiourea-foliar application also increased ascorbate and glutathione contents and upregulated antioxidant enzyme activities, compared to drought-stressed plants alone. Thiourea-induced increased glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II activities are the indications of upregulated methylglyoxal detoxification system. Enhancement of antioxidant defense and glyoxalase system, osmoregulation and protection of photosynthetic pigments by TU improved growth, imparted oxidative stress tolerance, ameliorated ROS toxicity and improved physiology of chickpea plants under drought stress.

Silicon-regulated antioxidant and osmolyte defense and methylglyoxal detoxification functions co-ordinately in attenuating fluoride toxicity and conferring protection to rice seedlings

The objective of this manuscript was to demonstrate the efficacy of silicon supplementation in relieving the fluoride-induced damages in rice cultivar, Khitish. The exposure of seedlings to two different concentrations of fluoride, viz., 25 and 50 mg L−1 NaF caused increase in fluoride accumulation, as a result of which the seedlings suffered severe oxidative stress, as evident from growth inhibition, reduction in seed germination, tissue biomass, root and shoot length, decline in chlorophyll content, increases in electrolyte leakage, H2O2 content, lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content and lipoxygenase activity), protein carbonylation and protease activity. The extent of damage was more at higher fluoride concentration. Silicon amendment, irrespective of fluoride concentrations, led to large build-up of endogenous silicon level and brought considerable improvement in all the parameters examined with respect to fluoride stress. The fluoride-mediated enhancement in methylglyoxal level was lowered by silicon, because of the prominent activation of glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II. While the stress-mediated induction in antioxidative enzymes like GPOX, APX, SOD, GPX and GR was lowered by silicon, the inhibition in CAT activity was relieved. The antioxidative defense mechanism was also boosted up via enhanced content of total phenolics and carotenoids. However, the fluoride-mediated increase in anthocyanins, flavonoids, xanthophyll, ascorbate and reduced glutathione, and osmolytes like total amino acids, proline and glycine-betaine, were all lowered in presence of silicon, together with reduced PAL and P5CS activity. Overall, silicon reduced oxidative damages to develop fluoride-tolerant rice plants through augmentation of different antioxidant and osmolyte defense and methylglyoxal detoxification system.

Tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin regulate the physiology, antioxidant defense and methylglyoxal detoxification systems in conferring salt stress tolerance in Triticum aestivum L.

Fungicides are widely used for controlling fungi in crop plants. However, their roles in conferring abiotic stress tolerance are still elusive. In this study, the effect of tebuconazole (TEB) and trifloxystrobin (TRI) on wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Norin 61) was investigated under salt stress. Seedlings were pre-treated for 48h with fungicide (1.375µM TEB + 0.5µM TRI) and then subjected to salt stress (250mMNaCl) for 5days. Salt treatment alone resulted in oxidative damage and increased lipid peroxidation as evident by higher malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content. Salt stress also decreased the chlorophyll and relative water content and increased the proline (Pro) content. Furthermore, salt stress increased the dehydroascorbate (DHA) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) content while ascorbate (AsA), the AsA/DHA ratio, reduced glutathione (GSH) and the GSH/GSSG ratio decreased. However, a combined application of TEB and TRI significantly alleviated growth inhibition, photosynthetic pigments and leaf water status improved under salt stress. Application of TEB and TRI also decreased MDA, electrolyte leakage, and H2O2 content by modulating the contents of AsA and GSH, and enzymatic antioxidant activities. In addition, TEB and TRI regulated K+/Na+ homeostasis by improving the K+/Na+ ratio under salt stress. These results suggested that exogenous application of TEB and TRI rendered the wheat seedling more tolerant to salinity stress by controlling ROS and methylglyoxal (MG) production through the regulation of the antioxidant defense and MG detoxification systems.

Pretreatment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings with 2,4-D improves tolerance to salinity-induced oxidative stress and methylglyoxal toxicity by modulating ion homeostasis, antioxidant defenses, and glyoxalase systems

The commonly used herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has an as yet undetermined protective role in mitigating salinity-induced damage in crop plants. The aim of this study was to explore the possible roles of antioxidant defense and methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification systems in enhancing salt tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Norin 61) seedlings following pretreatment with 2,4-D. Wheat seedlings were grown hydroponically, pretreated with 10 μM 2,4-D for 48 h, and then exposed to salt stress (150 and 250 mM NaCl) for the next five days. The protective effect of 2,4-D was associated with increased antioxidant enzyme activity and ascorbate and glutathione content, and with decreased malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content and reduced electrolytic leakage. Application of 2,4-D increased glyoxalase enzyme activity, resulting in greater MG detoxification. Seedlings pretreated with 2,4-D showed improved growth, biomass, and leaf water content due to reductions in Na+ accumulation and increases in K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ uptake. Overall, these results highlight the potential use of this common herbicide as a phytoprotectant against salinity stress.

Melatonin and Gibberellic Acid Promote Growth and Chlorophyll Biosynthesis by Regulating Antioxidant and Methylglyoxal Detoxification System in Tomato Seedlings Under Salinity

The beneficial roles of melatonin (Mel) and gibberellic acid (GA3) in the biosynthesis of photosynthetic pigments, osmoregulation, and methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification and antioxidant system were studied in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Five Star) seedlings under NaCl stress. The exogenous application of Mel (100 µM) and GA3 (1.4 µM) together more efficiently affected growth performance of seedlings under salt stress. The decreased chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and Chl-degrading enzyme (chlorophyllase) activity in seedlings receiving Mel plus GA3 resulted in increased Chl content by upregulating Chl synthesizing enzyme (δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase) under salinity. Exogenous Mel plus GA3 suppressed the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS; superoxide and hydrogen peroxide) and activity of glycolate oxidase. Application of Mel with GA3 reduced MG content by enhancing the activity of enzymes (glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II) involved in the MG detoxification system. Both Mel and GA3 together protected seedlings from ROS induced damage by regulating Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase activity, and content of proline (Pro) and glycine betaine (GB). Seedlings receiving Mel + GA3 exhibited a substantial upregulated activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and lipoxygenase, and redox homeostasis that reduced oxidative damage induced by salinity. These outcomes advocate that Mel and GA3 played beneficial roles in Chl, Pro and GB biosynthesis, and improved redox homeostasis, and MG detoxification and antioxidant system under salt stress.

Trehalose Protects Maize Plants from Salt Stress and Phosphorus Deficiency.

This study is undertaken to elucidate the role of trehalose (Tre) in mitigating oxidative stress under salinity and low P in maize. Eight-day-old maize seedlings of two maize varieties, BARI Hybrid Maize-7 and BARI Hybrid Maize-9, were subjected to salinity (150 mM NaCl), low P (5 µM KH2PO4) and their combined stress with or without 10 mM Tre for 15 d. Salinity and combined stress significantly inhibited the shoot length, root length, and root volume, whereas low P increased the root length and volume in both genotypes. Exogenous Tre in the stress treatments increased all of the growth parameters as well as decreased the salinity, low P, and combined stress-mediated Na+/K+, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and methylglyoxal (MG) in both genotypes. Individually, salinity and low P increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in both genotypes, but combined stress decreased the activity. Peroxidase (POD) activity increased in all stress treatments. Interestingly, Tre application enhanced the SOD activity in all the stress treatments but inhibited the POD activity. Both catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity were increased by saline and low P stress while the activities inhibited in combined stress. Similar results were found for ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) activities in both genotypes. However, monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) activity was inhibited in all the stresses. Interestingly, Tre enhanced CAT, APX, GPX, GR, MDHAR, and DHAR activities suggesting the amelioration of ROS scavenging in maize under all the stresses. Conversely, increased glyoxalase activities in saline and low P stress in BHM-9 suggested better MG detoxification system because of the down-regulation of glyoxalase-I (Gly-I) activity in BHM-7 in those stresses. Tre also increased the glyoxalase activities in both genotypes under all the stresses. Tre improved the growth in maize seedlings by decreasing Na+/K+, ROS, MDA, and MG through regulating antioxidant and glyoxalase systems.

Modulation of growth performance and coordinated induction of ascorbate-glutathione and methylglyoxal detoxification systems by salicylic acid mitigates salt toxicity in choysum (Brassica parachinensis L.)

Salinity represents a serious environmental threat to crop production and by extension, to world food supply, social and economic prosperity of the developing world. Salicylic acid (SA) is an endogenous plant signal molecule involved in regulating various plant responses to stress. In the present study, we characterized the regulatory role of exogenous SA for their ability to ameliorate deleterious effects of salt stress (0, 100, 150, 200 mM NaCl) in choysum plants through coordinated induction of antioxidants, ascorbate glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle, and the glyoxalase enzymes. An increase in salt stress dramatically declined root and shoot growth, leaf chlorophyll and relative water content (RWC), subsequently increased electrolyte leakage (EL) and osmolytes accumulation in choysum plants. Salt stress disrupted the antioxidant and glyoxalase defense systems which persuaded oxidative damages and carbonyl toxicity, indicated by increased H2O2 generation, lipid peroxidation, and methylglyoxal (MG) content. However, application of SA had an additive effect on the growth of salt-affected choysum plants, which enhanced root length, plant biomass, chlorophyll contents, leaf area, and RWC. Moreover, SA application effectively eliminated the oxidative and carbonyl stress by improving AsA and GSH pool, upregulating the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the enzymes associated with AsA-GSH cycle and glyoxalase system. Overall, SA application completely counteracted the salinity-induced deleterious effects of 100 and 150 mM NaCl and partially mediated that of 200 mM NaCl stress. Therefore, we concluded that SA application induced tolerance to salinity stress in choysum plants due to the synchronized increase in activities of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, enhanced efficiency of AsA-GSH cycle and the MG detoxification systems.

Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species Metabolism and Glyoxalase Systems by Exogenous Osmolytes Confers Thermotolerance in Brassica napus

In the current study, the beneficial role of proline (Pro) and glycinebetaine (GB) in alleviating high temperature (HT) stress was investigated in Brassica napus L. (rapeseed) seedlings. Ten-d-old rapeseed seedlings were treated with and/or without 2 mM Pro and 2 mM GB and exposed to 38/28 °C day/night (16 and 8 h) temperature for 24 and 48 h. Heat stress induced high amount of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lipoxygenase (LOX) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Exogenous Pro and GB addition in HT-affected plants increased the levels of ascorbate (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and their redox pool. Exogenous Pro and GB increased functions of AsA-GSH pathways enzymes along with catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in HT exposed plants. The enhanced antioxidant defense system by supplementation of Pro and GB helped to reduce oxidative stress and photosynthetic pigments damage caused by HT-induced stress. High methylglyoxal (MG) content decreased upon exogenous Pro and GB application along with enhanced activities of glyoxalase I (Gly I) and Gly II enzymes in HT-stressed plants. Applied Pro and GB under HT stress enhanced endogenous Pro level further to prevent excess water loss and also improved relative water content. Thus, Pro- and/or GB-induced regulatory interactions between ROS and MG detoxification systems may be a useful approach for the reversal of HT-induced oxidative stress.

Responses of reactive oxygen species and methylglyoxal metabolisms to magnesium-deficiency differ greatly among the roots, upper and lower leaves of Citrus sinensis

BackgroundMagnesium (Mg)-deficiency is one of the most prevalent physiological disorders causing a reduction in Citrus yield and quality. ‘Xuegan’ (Citrus sinensis) seedlings were irrigated for 16 weeks with nutrient solution containing 2 mM (Mg-sufficiency) or 0 mM (Mg-deficiency) Mg(NO3)2. Thereafter, we investigated the Mg-deficient effects on gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence in the upper and lower leaves, and Mg, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG) metabolisms in the roots, lower and upper leaves. The specific objectives were to corroborate the hypothesis that the responses of ROS and MG metabolisms to Mg-deficiency were greater in the lower leaves than those in the upper leaves, and different between the leaves and roots.ResultsMg level was higher in the Mg-deficient upper leaves than that in the Mg-deficient lower leaves. This might be responsible for the Mg-deficiency-induced larger alterations of all the measured parameters in the lower leaves than those in the upper leaves, but they showed similar change patterns between the Mg-deficient lower and upper leaves. Accordingly, Mg-deficiency increased greatly their differences between the lower and upper leaves. Most of parameters involved in ROS and MG metabolisms had similar variation trends and degrees between the Mg-deficient lower leaves and roots, but several parameters (namely glutathione S-transferase, sulfite reductase, ascorbate and dehydroascorbate) displayed the opposite variation trends. Obviously, differences existed in the Mg-deficiency-induced alterations of ROS and MG metabolisms between the lower leaves and roots. Although the activities of most antioxidant and sulfur metabolism-related enzymes and glyoxalase I and the level of reduced glutathione in the Mg-deficient leaves and roots and the level of ascorbate in the leaves were kept in higher levels, the levels of malonaldehyde and MG and/or electrolyte leakage were increased in the Mg-deficient lower and upper leaves and roots, especially in the Mg-deficient lower leaves and roots.ConclusionsThe ROS and MG detoxification systems as a whole did not provide sufficient detoxification capacity to prevent the Mg-deficiency-induced production and accumulation of ROS and MG, thus leading to lipid peroxidation and the loss of plasma membrane integrity, especially in the lower leaves and roots.

SIRT1 participates in the response to methylglyoxal-dependent glycative stress in mouse oocytes and ovary

Methylglyoxal (MG), a highly reactive dicarbonyl derived from metabolic processes, is the most powerful precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Glycative stress has been recently associated with ovarian dysfunctions in aging and PCOS syndrome. We have investigated the role of the NAD+-dependent Class III deacetylase SIRT1 in the adaptive response to MG in mouse oocytes and ovary. In mouse oocytes, MG induced up-expression of glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) and glyoxalase 2 (Glo2) genes, components of the main MG detoxification system, whereas inhibition of SIRT1 by Ex527 or sirtinol reduced this response. In addition, the inhibition of SIRT1 worsened the effects of MG on oocyte maturation rates, while SIRT1 activation by resveratrol counteracted MG insult. Ovaries from female mice receiving 100 mg/kg MG by gastric administration for 28 days (MG mice) exhibited increased levels of SIRT1 along with over-expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase 2, SIRT3, PGC1α and mtTFA. Similar levels of MG-derived AGEs were observed in the ovaries from MG and control groups, along with enhanced protein expression of glyoxalase 1 in MG mice. Oocytes ovulated by MG mice exhibited atypical meiotic spindles, a condition predisposing to embryo aneuploidy. Our results from mouse oocytes revealed for the first time that SIRT1 could modulate MG scavenging by promoting expression of glyoxalases. The finding that up-regulation of glyoxalase 1 is associated with that of components of a SIRT1 functional network in the ovaries of MG mice provides strong evidence that SIRT1 participates in the response to methylglyoxal-dependent glycative stress in the female gonad.

Melatonin enhances thermotolerance of maize seedlings (Zea mays L.) by modulating antioxidant defense, methylglyoxal detoxification, and osmoregulation systems.

Melatonin (MT), derived from tryptophan, is an amazing signaling molecule with multiple functions in plants. Heat stress (HS) induced by high temperature is a major stress factor that limits metabolism, growth, development, and productivity of plants. However, whether MT could enhance the thermotolerance of maize seedlings and the underlying mechanisms is not completely known. In this study, treatment of maize seedlings with MT enhanced the survival percentage of maize seedlings under HS conditions, mitigated an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA, product of membrane lipid peroxidation) and electrolyte leakage, and improved tissue vitality compared with the control without MT treatment, indicating that MT treatment could enhance the theromotolerance of maize seedlings. To understand the mechanisms underlying MT-enhanced thermotolerance of maize seedlings, the antioxidant defense (guaiacol peroxidease: GPX; glutathione reductase: GR; catalase: CAT; ascorbic acid: AsA; and glutathione: GSH), methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification (glyoxalase I: Gly I; and glyoxalase II: Gly II), and osmoregulation (proline: Pro; trehalose: Tre; and total soluble sugar: TSS) systems were assayed. The results showed that MT treatment stimulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes (GPX, GR, and CAT) and MG detoxification enzymes (Gly I and Gly II), increased the contents of nonenzyme antioxidants (AsA and GSH) and osmolytes (Pro, Tre, and TSS) in maize seedlings under normal culture conditions, and maintained a higher abovementioned enzyme activity and antioxidant and osmolyte contents under HS conditions compared with the control. This work reported that MT could enhance the thermotolerance of maize seedlings by modulating the antioxidant defense, MG detoxification, and osmoregulation systems.