Oxidative Stress (OS) in Plants, Beneficial Interactions with Their Microbiome and Practical Implications for Agricultural Biotechnology

Abstract

Plants are aerobic, sessile, and autotrophic organisms that face a wide variety of climatic adversities and pathogen attacks. They have evolved to deal with such challenges, that is, the case of the antioxidant defense to avoid oxidative stress (OS) caused by the overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RONS). ROS/RONS can be by-products of many physiological functions and biochemical pathways, but particularly from the fundamental electronic transfer processes: photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis is crucial for plant nutrition, trophic webs and maintenance of O2/CO2 balance in biosphere. Respiration is a source of energy for organisms. Both processes generate ROS and its overproduction can lead OS, modifying essential biomolecules and altering fundamental biochemical pathways and plant development. Antioxidant defense prevents such harmful accumulation of ROS. Plants interact with microbiota, a well-structured microbial community conferring adaptive and defense tools in both abiotic and biotic stressing conditions. We present the beneficial influence of the plant microbiome promotes the adaptability, resistance, and defense of plants using our results obtained in plants confronted drought. Microbiota can be used in agriculture in different ways, including adaptation to soil of micro-propagated plants, bioproducts for plant growth and pest control and processing and preservation of agriculture products.