Peroxiredoxin Systems

Abstract

With 8 to 10 members, the peroxiredoxin gene family of each higher plant with known genome sequence is larger than in other eukaryotes. Likewise, the complexity of reductive regenerants is very high, e.g. the chloroplast 2-Cys Prx is reduced by various thioredoxins, cyclophilin Cyp20-3, the drought induced CDSP32 and the NADPH- dependent reductant NTRC. In the light of the apparent versatility of the peroxiredoxin system in plants, its specific and important functions in antioxidant defence, photosyn- thesis and stress adaptation, the review attempts a survey of present day knowledge on plant peroxiredoxins, their biochemical features and transcript regulation, as well as their function in photosynthesis, development, stress response and pathogenesis. The emerging evidence for plant Prx function in cell signaling is summarized