Reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism and signaling in plant-mycorrhizal association under biotic and abiotic stress conditions

Abstract

A stringent regulation between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and scavenging is an essential process that helps a plant to adaptively utilize ROS as a primary defense molecule against biotic and abiotic stress condition. ROS at lower level primarily acts as a signaling molecule regulating plant cellular processes that include plant-microbe interaction. However, ROS generated at higher levels often leads to the inhibition of cellular processes, thus consequently leading a detrimental effect in plant growth and homeostasis. Rhizosphere being the "chemical space" around the roots which proves to be biologically active zone for plant-microbe interactions forms a link responsible for mutual signaling in each of the partners. Moreover plant fitness is said to be enhanced by these symbiotic mycorrhizal associations which are known to alleviate detrimental effects caused by environmental stresses thereby enhancing overall plant growth and development. This present chapter summarizes a precise interlink between biotic-abiotic stressed plants and its mycorrhizal association linking ROS modulation with plant signaling thereby establishing a link between stress tolerance and ROS metabolism. The literature reviewed herein will help to delineate the basic mechanism of ROS signaling, by ascertaining the physiological responses via altering the ROS metabolism, in mycorrhizal-associated stressed plants. This will ultimately help in designing innovative strategies to improve the overall plant productivity under stressful regimes.