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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1425880

The family of glutathione peroxidase proteins and their role against biotic stress in plants: a systematic review

Provisionally accepted
Maria Luíza Do Carmo Santos Maria Luíza Do Carmo Santos 1Ariana Silva Santos Ariana Silva Santos 1Diogo Pereira Silva de Novais Diogo Pereira Silva de Novais 2Natasha Lopes Natasha Lopes 1Carlos Priminho Pirovani Carlos Priminho Pirovani 1Fabienne Micheli Fabienne Micheli 3*
  • 1 Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
  • 2 Bahia Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
  • 3 Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement, Montpellier, France

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Glutathione peroxidases (GPXs) are extensively studied for their indispensable roles in eliminating reactive oxygen species by catalyzing the reduction of hydrogen peroxide or lipid peroxides to prevent cell damage. However, knowledge of GPXs in plants still has many gaps to be filled. Thus, we present the first systematic review (SR) aimed at examining the function of GPXs and their protective role against cell death in plants subjected to biotic stress. To guide the SR and avoid bias, a protocol was developed that included inclusion and exclusion criteria based on PRISMA guidelines. Three databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Springer) were used to identify relevant studies for this research, resulting in the selection of a total of 28 articles related to the proposed objective. The results highlight the importance of GPXs in plant defense against biotic stress, including their role in protecting against cell death, similar to the anti-apoptotic GPXs in animals. Data from gene expression and protein accumulation studies in plants under various biotic stresses reveal that GPXs can both increase resistance and susceptibility to pathogens. In addition to their antioxidant functions, GPXs act as sensors and transmitters of H₂O₂ signals, integrating with the ABA signaling pathway during stress. This enables them to delay senescence or reinforce physical barriers, thereby modulating resistance or susceptibility to pathogens. Additionally, their functions are linked to their cellular localization, which demonstrates an evolutionary relationship between the studied isoforms and their role in plant defense. This information broadens the understanding of molecular strategies involving GPX isoforms and provides a foundation for discussions and actions aimed at controlling necrotrophic and/or hemibiotrophic pathogens.

    Keywords: Antioxidant action, defense responses, pathogens, Cell Death, plant disease

    Received: 30 Apr 2024; Accepted: 09 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Santos, Silva Santos, de Novais, Lopes, Pirovani and Micheli. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Fabienne Micheli, Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement, Montpellier, France

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.