Review Article: Redox regulation of plant adaptation to flooding stress
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21276/pt.2026.v3.i1.8Keywords:
Flood stress, Redox reaction , Homeostasis, AntioxidantsAbstract
Flooding is an abiotic stressor that diminishes plant survival, growth, and productivity. Early effects include the lack of oxygen disrupting cellular metabolism and redox homeostasis. Redox regulation helps the body adjust to flooding stress by coordinating metabolic responses and signaling pathways. Redox reactions help plants get over the stress of flooding by keeping the homeostatic stability of their enzymatic activity. Plants have an antioxidant system that includes Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase (GPX), Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), Monodehydroascorbate Reductase (MDAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and Glutathione Reductase (GR). These enzymes are very important when plants are under stress from flooding. Ascorbate, tocopherols and other compounds help cells deal with oxidative stress and support their defense systems. Redox regulation also works with changes in shape, like the formation of aerenchyma and adventitious root’s growth, to improve oxygen diffusion and survival when submerged. Redox-mediated flooding tolerance mechanisms help us understand how plants deal with stress and give us ideas for breeding and biotechnological ways to make crops more resilient. As flooding becomes more common, it is important to understand how redox regulation affects plant adaptability for the sake of food security and sustainable agriculture.
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