Reactive Oxygen, Nitrogen and Sulfur Species in Plants

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during the interaction of metabolism with oxygen. As ROS have the potential to cause oxidative damage by reacting with biomolecules, research on ROS has concentrated on the oxidative damage that results from exposure to environmental stresses and on the role of ROS in defence against pathogens. However, more recently, it has become apparent that ROS also have important roles as signalling molecules. A complex network of enzymatic and small molecule antioxidants controls the concentration of ROS and repairs oxidative damage, and research is revealing the complex and subtle interplay between ROS and antioxidants in controlling plant growth, development and response to the environment. This book covers these new developments, generally focussing on molecular and biochemical details and providing a point of entry to the detailed literature. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology, in both the academic and industrial sectors.

Nitrogen is arguably the most important nutrient required by plants. However, the availability of nitrogen is limited in many soils and although the earth's atmosphere consists of 78.1% nitrogen gas (N2) plants are unable to use this form of nitrogen. To compensate , modern agriculture has been highly reliant on industrial nitrogen fertilizers to achieve maximum crop productivity. However, a great deal of fossil fuel is required for the production and delivery of nitrogen fertilizer. Moreover carbon dioxide (CO2) which is released during fossil fuel combustion contributes to the greenhouse effect and run off of nitrate leads to eutrophication of the waterways. Biological nitrogen fixation is an alternative to nitrogen fertilizer. It is carried out by prokaryotes using an enzyme complex called nitrogenase and results in atmospheric N2 being reduced into a form of nitrogen diazotrophic organisms and plants are able to use (ammonia). It is this process and its major players which will be discussed in this book. Biological Nitrogen Fixation is a comprehensive two volume work bringing together both review and original research articles on key topics in nitrogen fixation. Chapters across both volumes emphasize molecular techniques and advanced biochemical analysis approaches applicable to various aspects of biological nitrogen fixation. Volume 1 explores the chemistry and biochemistry of nitrogenases, nif gene regulation, the taxonomy, evolution, and genomics of nitrogen fixing organisms, as well as their physiology and metabolism. Volume 2 covers the symbiotic interaction of nitrogen fixing organisms with their host plants, including nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation, plant and microbial «omics», cyanobacteria, diazotrophs and non-legumes, field studies and inoculum preparation, as well as nitrogen fixation and cereals. Covering the full breadth of current nitrogen fixation research and expanding it towards future advances in the field, Biological Nitrogen Fixation will be a one-stop reference for microbial ecologists and environmental microbiologists as well as plant and agricultural researchers working on crop sustainability.

Plants are subjected to a variety of abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature, salinity, air pollution, heavy metals, UV radiations, etc. To survive under these harsh conditions plants are equipped with different resistance mechanisms which vary from species to species. Due to the environmental fluctuations agricultural and horticultural crops are often exposed to different environmental stresses leading to decreased yield and problems in the growth and development of the crops. Drought stress has been found to decrease the yield to an alarming rate of some important crops throughout the globe. During last few decades, lots of physiological and molecular works have been conducted under water stress in crop plants. Water Stress and Crop Plants: A Sustainable Approach presents an up-to-date in-depth coverage of drought and flooding stress in plants, including the types, causes and consequences on plant growth and development. It discusses the physiobiochemical, molecular and omic approaches, and responses of crop plants towards water stress. Topics include nutritional stress, oxidative stress, hormonal regulation, transgenic approaches, mitigation of water stress, approaches to sustainability, and modern tools and techniques to alleviate the water stress on crop yields. This practical book offers pragmatic guidance for scientists and researchers in plant biology, and agribusinesses and biotechnology companies dealing with agronomy and environment, to mitigate the negative effects of stress and improve yield under stress. The broad coverage also makes this a valuable guide enabling students to understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of environmental stress in plants.

Published in Cooperation with THE UNITED STATES AQUACULTURE SOCIETY As aquaculture production continues to grow and develop there is a continuous search for new species to culture to be able to fully exploit new national and international markets. Species selection for aquaculture development often poses an enormous challenge for decision makers who must decide which species and culture technologies to support with public resources, and then how best to divide those resources. Species and System Selection for Sustainable Aquaculture brings together contributions from international experts with experience in identifying potential species and production systems for sustainable aquaculture with a socioeconomic focus. The book is divided into three sections: Principles, Practices, and Species-Specific Public Policy for Sustainable Development. An outgrowth of a workshop held as part of the Aquaculture Interchange Program with examples from around the globe carefully edited by PingSun Leung, Pat O'Bryen, and Cheng-Sheng Lee this volume will be an important reference for all researchers, professionals, economists, and policy-makers involved in selecting new species for the development of sustainable aquaculture.

Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 16 Intercellular communication in plants plays a vital role in the co-ordination of processes leading to the formation of a functional organism. The signalling systems must function at a local level to co-ordinate events of cellular differentiation, over long distances to co-ordinate developmental and physiological responses in different parts of the plant, and they must even operate between separate individuals – for example, to control fertilization as part of the evolutionary strategy of a particular species. To cope with the diverse requirements for intercellular signalling, plants have evolved a spectrum of molecular mechanisms, and significant progress has been made over the last few years in our understanding of these processes. This volume provides an overview of our current understanding of intercellular communication in plants, with an emphasis on those research areas showing significant recent progress and promise. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry, physiology, cell biology and molecular biology.

Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 12 A fundamental feature of developmental biology is that of the establishment of polarity. It can be described at different levels – polarity of the organism, polarity in tissue patterning and organ development, and polarity of the cell. This volume provides an account of current research into the mechanisms by which polarity is generated at the level of the cell, organ and organism in plants, drawing especially on recent work with model organisms.The emphasis is on the use of the techniques of molecular genetics to dissect molecular mechanisms. This is the first volume to bring together the diverse aspects of polarity in plant development. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant developmental biology, cell biology and molecular biology. Visit www.blackwellplantsci.com the plant science site from Blackwell Publishing.

Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 33 Intracellular Signaling in Plants An intriguing and important question in our understanding of plant developmental programming and responses to the environment is what kinds of strategies and mechanisms plant cells use for the transmission and the integration of various developmental and environmental signals. This book provides insight into this fundamental question in plant biology. Intracellular Signaling in Plants is an excellent new addition to the increasingly well-known and respected Annual Plant Reviews and offers the reader: • Chapters prepared by an esteemed team of international authors • A consistent and well-illustrated approach to the subject matter • An invaluable resource for all researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry and biology This important volume also deals with major known signaling mechanisms and several representative intracellular signaling networks in plants, integrating comprehensive reviews and insights from leading experts in the field. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where biological sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this essential work on their shelves. Also Available from Wiley-Blackwell Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 32 Cell Cycle Control and Plant Development Edited by Dirk Inz? Print: 9781405150439 Online: 9780470988923 DOI: 10.1002/9780470988923 Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 31 Plant Mitochondria Edited by David Logan Print: 9781405149396 Online: 9780470986592 DOI: 10.1002/9780470986592

The scientific and economic significance of plant senescence means that much effort has been made to understand the processes involved and to devise means of manipulating them agriculturally. During the past few years there has been considerable progress in this regard, especially in the molecular, genetic and genomic aspects. Senescence has a tremendous impact on agriculture. For example, leaf senescence limits crop yield and biomass production, and contributes substantially to postharvest loss in vegetable and ornamental crops during transportation, storage and on shelves. In addition, proteins, antioxidants and other nutritional compounds are degraded during senescence. Senescing tissues also become more susceptible to pathogen infection, and some of the pathogens may produce toxins, rendering food unsafe. Mitotic senescence may also determine sizes of leaves, fruits and whole plants. This volume summarizes recent progresses in the physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, and biotechnology of plant senescence. Beginning with a chapter on senescence-related terminology and our current knowledge of mitotic senescence in plants (a less well-studied area), the book focuses on post-mitotic senescence, and includes chapters addressing the senescence of leaves, flowers and fruits. Later chapters examine the development of various new biotechnologies for manipulating the senescence processes of fruit and leaves, some of which are approaching commercialization. The book is directed at researchers and professionals in plant molecular genetics, physiology and biochemistry.

Regulation of transcription represents a major, controlling step in plant gene expression, as it determines the tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific activity of many genes. Changes in gene expression have been shown to underlie the responses to environmental cues and stresses, the response against pathogens, the regulation of metabolic pathways, and the regulation of photosynthesis, for example. Regulation by transcription factors is an integral part of a highly complex network. In recent years, research on the regulation of transcription has made impressive progress. This volume provides a broad overview of the regulation of transcription in plants, introducing the key elements, the way in which it works in practice, and the potential within plant biotechnology. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant molecular biology, biochemistry and biotechnology.

Carbohydrates are widely distributed in nature and widely available, and so are considered as a promising feedstock for the preparation of many organic chemical compounds. They are particularly useful in the preparation of nitrogen heterocycles because of their related structural characteristics and easy availability. Synthesis of Naturally Occurring Nitrogen Heterocycles from Carbohydrates will review the recent literature dealing with use of carbohydrates as raw materials in the synthesis of these materials. The text contains six chapters arranged according to the complexity of the heterocyclic compounds discussed, ranging from five to seven membered rings and from single to multiple fused rings. The book provides a detailed discussion of the various synthetic approaches to these compounds, using carbohydrate starting materials, and does not merely reference synthetic methodology but attempts to give as much detail as possible on the actual experimental conditions used, in such a way that the chemist can use the information directly to design a multi-step synthesis. It discusses the different approaches to the synthesis of a wide range of naturally occurring nitrogen heterocycles in a format that enables the reader to make comparisons and decisions on whether to use a certain procedure, to modify it, or to devise a new synthetic methodology.