Review of oxidative stress and antioxidative defense mechanisms in Gossypium hirsutum L. in response to extreme abiotic conditions

Authors: QAMER, ZAINAB - University Of Agriculture - Pakistan; CHAUDHARY, MUHAMMAD TANEES - University Of Agriculture - Pakistan; DU, XIONGMING - Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences; Hinze, Lori; AZHAR, MUHAMMAN TAHSEE - Bahauddin Zakariya University

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2021
Publication Date: 4/9/2021
Citation: Qamer, Z., Chaudhary, M., Du, X., Hinze, L.L., Azhar, M. 2021. Review of oxidative stress and antioxidative defense mechanisms in Gossypium hirsutum L. in response to extreme abiotic conditions. Journal of Cotton Research. 4. Article 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42397-021-00086-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42397-021-00086-4

Interpretive Summary: The types of antioxidants produced by cotton plants and their role in defending plants against abiotic stresses including drought, high temperatures, salinity, heavy metals, and ultraviolet radiation are reviewed. Extensive literature demonstrates the beneficial effects of antioxidants produced by plants to reduce the effects of abiotic stress on crops. Environmental stresses lead plants to produce excess reactive oxygen species that can damage normal cellular functions. Antioxidants are produced in response to this stress to remove the excess reactive oxygen species and fix damage that may have occurred. This review examines the potential applications of antioxidants in plant breeding and transgenic approaches to improve plant health by developing cotton plants with increased tolerance to environmental stresses.

Technical Abstract: Under field conditions, oxidative stress occurs when crop plants are exposed to extreme abiotic conditions that lead to the excessive production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Those extreme abiotic conditions or stresses include drought, high temperature, heavy metals, salinity, and ultraviolet radiation, and they cause yield and quality losses in crops. ROS are highly reactive species found in nature that can attack organelles, metabolites, and molecules by interrupting various metabolic pathways until cell death occurs. Plants have evolved defense mechanisms for the production of antioxidants to detoxify the ROS and to protect the plant against oxidative damage. Modern research in crop plants revealed that low levels of ROS acts as a signal which induces tolerance to environmental extremes by altering the expression of defensive genes. In this review, we summarize the processes involved in ROS production resulting from several types of abiotic stress in cotton plants. Furthermore, we discuss the achievements in recent years in understanding and improving oxidative stress tolerance in cotton. Research related to plant oxidative stresses has shown an excellent potential for the development of stress-tolerant crops.