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Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in Plants-2nd Edition.

Corpas FJ, Rivero RM, Palma JM

Plant Signaling

Every time your tomatoes bounce back after a drought or your roses fight off a fungal attack, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide are quietly running the defense — and understanding them could change how we grow food with fewer pesticides.

Plants produce tiny reactive molecules — including one you might know as a bleaching agent and another found in car exhaust — but inside plants these same substances act as messengers that tell cells what to do in a crisis. When a plant is attacked by a pest, baked by heat, or starved of water, these molecules spread the alarm and trigger protective responses. Scientists are learning how to read and influence these signals, which could help farmers grow stronger crops without relying as heavily on chemical sprays.

Key Findings

1

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) function as dual signaling molecules in plants, coordinating stress responses across cell networks rather than acting as purely damaging agents.

2

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species interact in tightly regulated pathways, meaning the balance between them — not just their presence — determines whether a plant thrives or suffers under stress.

3

Advances in this field open potential biotechnology pathways for engineering crops with enhanced disease resistance and climate resilience by tuning these molecular signaling networks.

chevron_right Technical Summary

Plants use tiny signaling molecules — hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide — to coordinate responses to stress, disease, and environmental change. This special edition compiles cutting-edge research on how these chemical messengers work together to keep plants healthy and resilient.

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Abstract Preview

Although hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) are widely recognized for their signaling functions [...].

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Abstract copyright held by the original publisher.

hub This connects to 9 other discoveries — plant-signaling, climate-adaptation, crop-improvement +1 more 5 related articles

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