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Plant glutathione transferase-mediated stress tolerance: functions and biotechnological applications

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Abstract

Plant glutathione transferases (EC 2.5.1.18, GSTs) are an ancient, multimember and diverse enzyme class. Plant GSTs have diverse roles in plant development, endogenous metabolism, stress tolerance, and xenobiotic detoxification. Their study embodies both fundamental aspects and agricultural interest, because of their ability to confer tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses and to detoxify herbicides. Here we review the biotechnological applications of GSTs towards developing plants that are resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. We integrate recent discoveries, highlight, and critically discuss the underlying biochemical and molecular pathways involved. We elaborate that the functions of GSTs in abiotic and biotic stress adaptation are potentially a result of both catalytic and non-catalytic functions. These include conjugation of reactive electrophile species with glutathione and the modulation of cellular redox status, biosynthesis, binding, and transport of secondary metabolites and hormones. Their major universal functions under stress underline the potential in developing climate-resilient cultivars through a combination of molecular and conventional breeding programs. We propose that future GST engineering efforts through rational and combinatorial approaches, would lead to the design of improved isoenzymes with purpose-designed catalytic activities and novel functional properties. Concurrent GST–GSH metabolic engineering can incrementally increase the effectiveness of GST biotechnological deployment.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge financial support from the grant programs THALES (Grant Number 380236) and ARISTEIA II (Grant Number 5383) co-funded by the European Union—European Social Fund and National Resources. NEL acknowledges financial support by Bayer CropScience AG, Germany (Grants4Targets 2016-2-25).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Genetics and Plant Breeding, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 261, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Irini Nianiou-Obeidat, Christos Kissoudis, Georgia Voulgari & Athanasios Tsaftaris

  2. Institute of Applied Biosciences, CERTH, 6th km Charilaou-Thermis Road, Thermi, P.O. Box 361, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Panagiotis Madesis & Athanasios Tsaftaris

  3. Wageningen UR Plant Breeding, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Christos Kissoudis

  4. Laboratory of Enzyme Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Food, Biotechnology and Development, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Street, 11855, Athens, Greece

    Evangelia Chronopoulou & Nikolaos E. Labrou

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  1. Irini Nianiou-Obeidat
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  2. Panagiotis Madesis
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  3. Christos Kissoudis
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  4. Georgia Voulgari
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  6. Athanasios Tsaftaris
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  7. Nikolaos E. Labrou
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Correspondence to Irini Nianiou-Obeidat.

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Communicated by Neal Stewart.

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Nianiou-Obeidat, I., Madesis, P., Kissoudis, C. et al. Plant glutathione transferase-mediated stress tolerance: functions and biotechnological applications. Plant Cell Rep 36, 791–805 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-017-2139-7

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